Fire and Blood
by A Girl Heading Nowhere
Summary: When King Aerys has a daughter before the birth of his younger son Viserys, the history of Westeros takes a new turn. Princess Visenya of House Targaryen, only daughter of the King and sister to Prince Rhaegar and Prince Viserys crosses path with the young Lion of Lannister and thus start a chain of events with varying results!
1. Chapter 1

**JAIME**

Jaime Lannister felt bored, immensely so. No older than ten, all the boy wanted to do was run off to the tiltyard to improve his skills with the sword. Yet here he stood, beside his proud father, awaiting the arrival of the King. As the eldest son of the Lord of Casterly Rock, it was Jaime's duty to greet the Royal party for their arrival to the Rock. Yet he couldn't stop glancing back to the tiltyard where the tourney would begun tomorrow for the birth of the King's second son, Viserys. His father, Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King had received a raven from King's Landing a few days ago stating that the Queen had borne a third child for the King and his father, ever the opportunist, had offered to hold a tourney for the occasion.

On seeing a team of horses, Jaime stood up straighter. His father would not have his heir slouch like a common man. He stole a quick glance to his twin sister Cersei. She looked regal. Decked in a golden gown with his late mother's jewels adoring her neck, she looked like a perfect lady. A lady worthy of being the Queen. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, something he never had called another girl.

He turned his attention back ahead when he saw his father greeting the King. King Aerys of House Targaryen. From his conversations with his father, Jaime knew that the king was younger than his father in age and yet as they stood, greeting one another, it was the King who appeared to be older.

"This, Your Grace, is my son and heir, Jaime." his father said and Jaime bowed down in courtesy, murmuring a quick "Your Grace."

"He has favoured you in looks it appears. It is a shame. Your wife was prettier to look at." the King replied, and Jaime couldn't understand whether the King was jesting or not.

Before his father could reply, the King turned back to his men and barked out, "Hurry along you two."

Jaime looked past the King to see a boy, a few years older than him leading a girl towards them. The way the boy walked, it was easy enough to guess who he was. The crown prince, a true Targaryen with his silver hair and dark purple eyes, was strikingly handsome. But the girl with her hand in the crook of the Prince's elbow, looked uneasy. She looked small beside the prince. If it weren't for the same silver blond hair and colouring, Jaime would have never recognised the Princess. It was tradition that Targaryens married brother and sister. After all, the King and Queen were themselves siblings. But looking at the pair of them together, he found it hard to imagine them marrying. Princess Visenya looked like a little doll, the kind Cersei used to play with, while Prince Rhaegar looked commanding, a little too harsh for that girl.

His father had bowed to the Prince and placed a chaste kiss on the hand of the Princess before they came to Jaime. Jaime followed his father's movements, bowing low while greeting the crown Prince and placing a kiss on the Princess' hand. The royal duo had then moved on to Cersei and Jaime saw the way Cersei looked at the Prince. A hint of jealousy rose in him and he quickly turned away. This was not appropriate, his mother had told him. He could not kiss Cersei on the lips, his mother had told him. But was it wrong now, even after his mother had passed away? He decided it was best to excuse himself before he fall sick due to the way the Prince had looked at his sister.

The feast that was held for the royal family that night had been a lavish one. Unfortunately for him, his father had asked Cersei to escort the Prince to the high table and for him to escort the Princess. Not only that but Cersei would be the one feasting beside Prince Rhaegar while Jaime would have sit in between the little girl princess and the prince. The scowl that had settled on his face while escorting Princess Visenya had still not disappeared as the evening was being wrapped up. It brought him a little comfort though that the Prince himself was more focussed on his own sister than on Jaime's. Seeing Cersei scowl at the Princess the same way he was scowling at the Prince healed his wounded pride.

Even while scowling, Cersei looked beautiful. He could still remember that day when they had kissed. It was in her room. She had whispered to him that they were two halves of a whole. That they belonged together. She had been so close to him that day. Sitting right beside him, wearing that red gown he preferred her in. The memory of that day was etched into his mind, still just as fresh.

Prince Rhaegar's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Is something the matter, Visenya?" he had asked his sister.

This time Jaime turned to look at the Princess beside him, properly look at her. She sat straight, appeared proper as a lady yet every time he looked at her, he could only think of a doll. The birth of Princess Visenya had been a grand affair. He had been small then, no older than three. After years the Queen had finally provided the King with a child. His mother had talked of the celebrations, the tourney, the Lords and Knights who had gone for the week long event and Jaime had listened with rapt attention. He had heard people talk of how the Princess was growing up to be the most beautiful lady in all the Seven Kingdoms but all Jaime could see was a little girl. Only Cersei was beautiful. Not a girl no older than seven.

"I'm well. Just tired. I think I will depart for the evening." she answered and stood up. Her brother offered to escort her to her chambers and she willingly agreed. The way the Prince was looking at the girl, he wondered if he was not the only brother lusting for his sister.

He turned back to Cersei and finally stated, "You seem to be besotted with the Prince."

Cersei looked at him, eyes narrow, lips thinned and answered, "This is all father's wish. He wants me to impress the future King and have me betrothed to him."

"And do you want that?" he asked, noticing that she had not exactly given him a proper answer.

"It will always be you and I, Jaime, just you and I.", she answered and squeezed his knee under the table.

Perhaps he was a fool in love, for he never realised that she still hadn't made it clear whether she wanted the betrothal or not.

It was the morning of the tourney and Jaime couldn't keep himself in check. He wanted to just run out there and beg them to start already but it was still early in the morning, too early. He had decided to pay a visit to his brother Tyrion, a boy no older than three. Jaime liked Tyrion, unlike his father and sister. Tyrion would listen to Jaime when he told him of sword fighting, of jousting, of tiltyard practices. Yes, he liked Tyrion. It was when he was leaving Tyrion's bedchamber did he stumble upon the Princess. She was standing some twenty feet away from him and surprising alone. He hadn't ever seen her alone. Since the royal party had arrived yesterday morning, he had seen her surrounded by Kingsguards or handmaidens or in the company of her brother or father. He also realised then that he had not even had a conversation with her apart from the quick greeting upon her arrival.

"Do you need any assistance, Princess Visenya?" Jaime asked as he approached the girl.

She turned towards him, surprise clear on her face and bowed her head, blushing and answered timidly, "Forgive me but I appear to have lost my way."

It was at the least amusing to see the Princess like this. Seven hells, she was the Princess. The only daughter of the King. She was supposed to be mighty and proud, not shy and timid, she was to have an air of authority, _like Cersei_. The girl was no Princess.

"I can walk you back to your chambers if you wish, Princess.", he said and offered her his arm.

"Thank you. That is very kind of you.", she finally looked up at him and smiled. But it was not her smile he focused on, it was her eyes. She had beautiful eyes. They were perhaps the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Prettier than even his and Cersei's.

He remembered where the King and his children had been housing and started walking. It was no surprise to him that the Princess had lost the way. Casterly Rock was a big place. He remembered running away from his lessons and hiding in the castle. It was easy to hide in this place. It would take hours for the Maester to find him and by then the time for the lessons would be over.

As they approached the entrance to the chambers, Ser Barristan Selmy came rushing towards them. Jaime had heard a lot about that man, about how brilliant a Knight he was and Jaime had wanted that, wanted to be a noble and good Knight.


	2. Chapter 2

**VISENYA**

Visenya disliked the seas. No reason but she simply disliked them. So when her father told her that they would leave for Lannisport, she was immediately against the idea. But in her seven years she had learnt that nobody went against her father. So she meekly nodded her head and let the handmaidens pack her belongings. Her only relief was that Rhaegar would be going with her.

Her brother, older to her by nearly ten years, was the only one who had ever dared to disobey his father. It had been a year back. She did not know what had happened but she had heard them shouting, her father and brother. She had asked Rhaegar back then about the fight but he did not wish to discuss it and she let it go. That was the only time she had seen Rhaegar in rage. But ever since then, the relationship between the two men had been strained. They dare not say it out loud to the world but when alone, they would be hostile towards one another.

A knock on the door got her attention. "Visenya, are you decent?" It was her brother. She would recognise his voice anywhere.

"Come in." she answered back.

Rhaegar had then entered her chambers and quickly dismissed her help. "Did father tell you?" he asked as soon as the door shut behind the ladies.

"About Lannisport, yes…" she answered him and continued, "but why are we going?"

"A tourney for the grand occasion of Viserys' birth.", he returned and Visenya smiled at the thought of her young brother. For the past seven years, her mother had taken ill a lot and though she was with child , she had never birthed one. Viserys was the first in seven years. The maester still feared Viserys would not make it till his first name day which was why her mother and her younger brother would not be travelling with them.

Visenya did not mind that really. She knew her own birth had been a similar one. It was ten years after the birth of Rhaegar that the Gods had granted the King with another child, a daughter this time. It was why Rhaegar was so protective of her.

"You do not wish to go.", Rhaegar stated. He could always read her well.

"I do not like the sea, remember? And I have no wish to leave our home.", she said.

"I would rather you travel with me than stay here with mother." Rhaegar said and Visenya nodded along. Being with Rhaegar she would feel safe, alone not so much.

The journey to Casterly Rock had been nothing impressive. They had stayed at inns overnight and in the daytime her father would pass comments on Tywin Lannister and how his young son was a little monster. She had asked her brother about that and Rhaegar had told her of a boy named Tyrion and how he was born different from the rest. Different how, she had asked and he had just shrugged, saying no more on that matter.

Finally Casterly Rock was in sight and Visenya was a little impressed. People talked of how grand Casterly Rock was but seeing the Rock now, she felt words could not describe it. It looked beautiful really.

Her brother came to her, to help her down from the royal carriage as did Ser Barristan Selmy. She felt uneasy now but her father had called out to them and so she let her brother lead her. They had first headed towards Lord Tywin Lannister. As the Hand of the King, he had resided at Red Keep since before she was born and she had only had had one encounter with him before.

The man had greeted her and her brother and then pointed to his son, Jaime Lannister. Visenya had heard her handmaidens talk of her brother as handsome, something she never understood, but now as she turned to look at the heir of Casterly Rock she knew he was handsome. He was a young boy but even then she thought of him to be handsome. Before she could have offered any word, her brother dragged her along to the girl beside Jaime, his twin sister. Cersei was truly beautiful. The same golden hair and green eyes as Jaime, and wearing a pretty dress, Cersei was amongst the most beautiful ladies Visenya had ever met.

When she had received the news that the Young Lion was to escort her to the feast, she had shied away from her brother and blushed profusely. Her brother, thankfully, had taken it as fear and given her his word that he would by her side throughout the feast and he had indeed kept his word. But what upset her was that while Jaime had offered her his arm, he had been far from polite. He had spent the feast sulking beside her, scowling at whoever possible, including her. His sister too seemed to dislike Visenya and the hatred surrounding her made her feel sick. It was a relief when her brother asked for her well being and she got the opportunity to leave.

As they made their way out of the Hall, she spoke up, "I do not like it here."

Her brother sighed and looked at her. "We will leave the moment the tourney is over."

"Will we really?" she asked, excited for the first time that night.

"If you wish to then yes we will." he answered back, offering her a smile.

"The girl seems to have taken a liking to you." she said after a few moments.

"Who? That Lannister girl?" he enquired and she nodded back as he continued, "She is a little girl. I have no interest in her, believe me."

"But she is pretty.", she retorted back.

"Pretty, yes. Prettiest, no." he replied.

The following morning, Visenya had been quick to wake up. These weren't her bedchambers and she was simply not comfortable in them. She had hurriedly gotten ready, requiring no handmaidens and went to her brother's room. If anybody would be up at this early hour, it would be her brother.

"You are up early." her brother made the comment the moment she entered his chamber.

"I could not sleep." she replied and on noticing his harp by his bed, she continued, "Have you been playing the harp recently?"

He did not reply to her, focussing more on getting ready for the day. Rhaegar had told her that when she was a babe, he would play the harp for her, to lull her to sleep. She did not recall those memories but she did remember the music, the sound of his harp. He could play it beautifully. But now-a-days he spent more time being a warrior, being a prince than he did as a musician and she felt horrible for that.

A knock came on the door and Ser Arthur Dayne, a Kingsguard entered informing them that the King had called for Rhaegar. She wanted to ask what it was about but decided against it. She was a princess after all, and girls never question orders, they only obey. Or so she had been told. Rhaegar had been quick to leave after that and she had no other choice but to leave too. However rather than going to her bedchambers and be badgered by her help, she decided to explore the castle.

A few moments later she regretted that decision. She stood alone in a hallway sh could not recognise and instantly wished that she had brought Ser Barristan with her. He was a kind man, a Kingsguard her father had given to her alone, for her protection.

Her father was a man not many knew to be kind. He and Rhaegar had his differences, for reasons unknown, but still he would occasionally send one Kingsguard to be with Rhaegar if need be. But for her, Ser Barristan had clear instructions to be with her at all times. She supposed this was her father's way of showing love. Ser Barristan himself was quite taken with her. He would let her do as pleased, sometimes sneaking her out of the castle if need be and would not leave her alone unless it was with Rhaegar. Right now she needed one of them.

It was a boy's voice that found her first. On locating the source of the voice she immediately regretted the entire journey. Jaime Lannister was a handsome boy, one who made her blush but he had been impolite to her yesterday, never sharing a conversation at the feast. She could decline his offer for assistance but that would be no use, she needed the help after all.

It had been kind of him to offer to walk her back to her chambers, the first kindness any Lannister had shown her and she gratefully took his offered arm.

On reaching her chamber, the sight that greeted her got her instantly worried. Ser Barristan rushed towards her, "Where have you been, Princess? Everybody has been looking for you."

"I apologise but I just lost my way.", she remarked and asked the question she dreaded, "You have not informed my father have you?"

Ser Barristan immediately replied, "Of course not, my Princess. I would never. But you shall come inside now. Your father will come looking for you any moment."

Relief washed her features upon hearing that. If her father had known of her disappearance, he would have probably punished her.

She made for her chambers then, followed closely by Ser Barristan and never witnessed that Jaime Lannister still stood there watching them retreat.


	3. Chapter 3

**CERSEI**

Cersei Lannister sat in the crowd waiting for the tourney to begin. She couldn't wait for it to be over honestly. After all, she was not the centre of attention today. Ever since Cersei had been born, she had been the sole focus. Tywin Lannister's daughter, lady of Casterly Rock, beauty of Westeros, the one every boy wanted to marry. She was everything until that little Targaryen girl was born. She was to marry Prince Rhaegar and become the Queen. Yet, it was that Targaryen Princess, who sat above everybody with her father, that was drawing attention. _Really had people never seen a girl,_ Cersei wondered.

She turned her eyes to the dais above where the Princess and the King sat. It was known across the Seven Kingdoms that the Targaryens were strikingly beautiful, inhumanly so and Cersei regrettably accepted that to be true when it came to Visenya Targaryen. It appeared she also happened to be popular among the smallfolk. The smallfolk had cheered for father twice as much as for King Aerys, but only half as loudly for her father as for Rhaegar and Visenya when he had come to escort her before heading to the tents. Prince Rhaegar was going to participate in the tourney.

She turned her attention back to the tourney as the Prince made an appearance. Seventeen and new to knighthood, Rhaegar Targaryen had worn black plate over golden ringmail as he cantered onto the lists. Long streamers of red and gold and orange silk had floated behind his helm, like flames. Two of her uncles fell before his lance, along with a dozen of her father's finest jousters, the flower of the west. However in the end Prince Rhaegar was defeated in the champion's tilt by Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.

When she had been presented to him last morning, she had almost drowned in the depths of his sad purple eyes. _"He has been wounded,"_ she had thought, _"but I will mend his hurt when we are wed."_ Last night the prince had played his silver harp, she recalled, and it had made her weep. Next to Rhaegar, even her beautiful Jaime had seemed no more than a callow boy.

It was a delight when her father told her that they would feast with just the Royal family at night. She had dressed in her prettiest gown and her father had led her to the King's chambers with Jaime trailing behind. Jaime had been upset this morning when he had come to her chambers. He had tried to kiss her and she had turned the other way. How could Jaime compare to Prince Rhaegar, after all.

A squire greeted them as they entered and led them to the solar. Six chairs were placed around a table yet no chair was occupied. They had arrived right on time but the King had not and stealing a glance at her father, she knew it didn't bode well with him. They had sat for quite a while before King Aerys made an appearance, followed by his son. He had not even greeted them and just gone to his seat at the head of the table but the Prince had given them a nod of acknowledgement. Six of his seven Kingsguard had followed the King but no girl had entered. For a moment Cersei was glad that the Princess would not be joining them but then she had barged into the chambers, followed by a Kingsguard and all hells be damned but the King and Prince had stood upon her entry. Not wanting to appear impolite, her father and brother had followed suit causing her to rise to greet that silly, little girl.

"My apologies, I had a letter to reply to." she muttered in an exceedingly sweet voice as slipped into a seat opposite Jaime and beside the Prince.

Finally the food had been served and the King was the first to speak up, "Rhaegar told me you wish to leave the Rock at the earliest."

That girl looked up from her plate and replied, "Yes father."

This was not good, not good at all. If the royal family left then her father could never talk of the betrothal and she would never become a Queen. That stupid girl was ruining it all for her.

"Why?" the King questioned.

"Well, uh, it appears the sea disagrees with me." she answered and Cersei wanted nothing more than to drown that girl in the sea.

"You heard my daughter, Tywin, we leave at the morrow. Ready your men, I want no delay." the King told her father, leaving no room for discussion.

 _"But tomorrow?"_ Cersei wanted to ask and shout out that tomorrow was early, too early unless she was to marry. If she would be made a Princess upon reaching King's Landing then she was willing to leave at the earliest.

"Very well.", her father answered and paused before continuing, "I believe the Prince is of age to marry. My girl has flowered already and I think it would be wise to join our two families in marriage." Her father could be blunt if he wanted and the way he had told the entire table along with the Kingsguard that she had flowered, had her blushing like a bride.

Her dream turned sour the moment the King barked out a laugh and continued, "Tell me you jest. After all what is your daughter compared to mine? She has no beauty nor royal blood, impure as she is. She will never marry a Targaryen! She is unworthy!"

There was only silence that followed his statement. Cersei wanted nothing more than to cry as she felt Jaime's hand on her knee. She waited patiently, waited for her father to defend her, to get the King to correct his folly but he didn't. Her father spoke no more and returned to eating. She wanted to grab him, to shake him, to tell him to speak up and get the King to agree. But she didn't, she said nothing and pretended that nothing happened.

"I believe you can leave, Tywin.", the King spoke up, "and take your children with you."

Cersei weakly took the arm Jaime offered and walked out of the room. She wished to be alone, she wished to kill the King, to kill the daughter he had compared her to.

"Cersei! Cersei!" Jaime's voice finally found her and she looked around to notice they were currently in Jaime's bedchamber.

"Jaime…" she finally spoke up and kissed him, her mind already thinking of a plan.

After a few moments they broke up and she asked him quietly, "Do you love me?"

"Yes Cersei. Never doubt that." Jaime answered quickly and she enquired, "If I would ask you to do something, will you do it for me?"

"Yes. Just name it." Jaime answered and she gave him a smile and said, "Kill the girl."

Jaime was surprised from the look of it but she would get him to do it. She always got her way.

"Cersei… do you realise what you are saying?" he asked her.

"I do. I know. But Jaime, she humiliated me. Didn't you see? Her father may have said those words but who do you think whispered them in his ears." She slowly started kissing him on his cheek, making her way down his jaw and continued, "You know that Targaryens marry brother and sister. She loves her brother. You know it. You have seen it. That whore didn't want Rhaegar to marry anybody but her. It was all her. Please Jaime. She insulted me. Hurt her if nothing else."

"Cersei -" Jaime tried to speak but she cut him off, "Say yes Jaime. Say you will do it. Say you will protect my honour. Please Jaime… Say you will do it tonight. Jaime, please. I love you."

"Yes." he finally answered and before they could continue, a knock came on the door. It was a servant and Cersei saw her escape, leaving Jaime the task of getting rid of the Princess.

She knew Jaime would probably not harm anybody but this time it was about her honour. If nothing else, Jaime valued her honour. Perhaps he would not kill the girl but she knew he would hurt her. He had to. That girl was a direct insult to Cersei. She was taking everything Cersei was to have and that was simply not acceptable. Cersei Lannister wanted the Princess dead and she always got what she wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

**JAIME**

 _This is wrong,_ a part of him thought, _but it needs to be done,_ another part thought. As he stood here, in the bedchamber of the Princess of the Seven Kingdoms, all he could think of was how wrong it is and how it had to be done for Cersei.

Soon after Cersei and the servant had left his room Jaime had headed towards where the royal family was housing. He could not enter directly for Ser Barristan and Ser Arthur were standing guard at the door to the Princess' room and so he had gone outside with his sword and climbed up the tower with ease and broken into her room. He had done all this with little thought but now it appeared his senses were finally catching up to him.

There were more flaws in his plan than he could count. Really, he was a fool to think he could come up here and drive a sword through the heart of the Princess. He had done things for Cersei before but none so serious. Having a servant fired, push a girl to the floor if Cersei didn't like her, these were all petty things, things that did not make him feel any guilt. But this, murder, this was wrong. It made him feel sick and guilty. Standing near the window, in the shadows, he was contemplating what he would do. What the King had said had been an utter disrespect to his House, but it was even more humiliating for Cersei. Her honour had been questioned. Her beauty insulted and Jaime could not let that pass. _But his father did,_ a part of him whispered. _It was not the fault of the girl,_ it continued, _do not do this._ He wanted to ignore this but every word whispered was true.

The girl shifted in her sleep, turning towards Jaime and he stopped breathing for a moment, praying to the Seven that she would not wake up. Thank the Gods she didn't.

He finally looked to the girl and again the only thing that came to his mind was how small and innocent she looked. Seeing her like this he remembered what he would tell Tyrion, about how he wanted to be a Knight, the most fierce and noble of them all, just like Ser Arthur. But would Ser Arthur ever hurt an innocent girl, one so important as the Princess. He had always thought that he would be the knight in shining armour, rescuing the maiden, Cersei. But Cersei was definitely no damsel, she never needed much saving, but the girl lying on bed in front of him did. She was small, no doubt, she could not wield even a dagger let alone a sword. Suddenly, she was the maiden and he was not the knight but the evil captor. He did not want this. He was not the captor, he was the saviour. How could he do this?

The girl shifted again and her bare leg peaked out under the covers. He turned his attention to that pale white leg where wrapped around the ankle was a golden chain, three small golden things hanging from it. He moved a little closer, curiosity getting the better of him, and realised that the things were not things but creatures, dragons to be exact. This was wrong. The Targaryen sigil was of a three headed dragon, not three different dragons. And why would the girl wear them around her ankle and not her wrist. Curious and Curiouser. He glanced at her face again and immediately regretted his acceptance to do the deed. He could not do it. He could not kill a little girl. This was wrong.

She moved a third time and he decided to just leave. He would put up with Cersei's anger but not the guilt of murder.

The following morning he avoided everybody, even Cersei. He still couldn't rest easy after what he had almost done. He and Cersei would be travelling back to King's Landing with their father, leaving Tyrion behind. He had not even said goodbye to Tyrion and he felt horrible for it but he couldn't do it, he couldn't go to his little brother and offer him kind words and whispered apologies when he should be saying those to the Princess.

The Lannister party was ready to go and even the King's soldiers were all prepared, waiting at the Rock's exit for their King and his children. Cersei sat in a carriage and he and his father were waiting for the King and his children before they would ride on. It was surprising when his father had not spoken up in defence of Cersei last night and at the back of his mind, Jaime had pondered over his father's behaviour.

The King finally made an appearance, followed by the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and Jaime wanted to remind the man of his words last night about being on time.

"Where is that daughter of yours, Tywin?" the King asked, "Has she finally decided to hide away?" and laughed at his own words.

Jaime had developed hatred for the King now. Hated him with every fibre of his being.

"She awaits your command to leave, Your Grace." his father answered.

"Hmm." The King grunted and called out behind, "Where is your sister?"

The question had been directed to Prince Rhaegar and Jaime realised that it appeared that the Princess had a habit of being late.

However, the Prince had no need to reply to his father as the Princess did make an appearance then and Jaime noticed that for the first time since coming here she appeared to be truly happy. He quickly tore his eyes away from her turned around. Her presence was a brutal reminder of what could have been.

The princess had entered a carriage like Cersei's, though smaller. However, it was clear that her carriage was more important as a flag attached to her carriage flew high, baring the sigil of her House, the House of the King and was the most protected, surrounded by Targaryen soldiers and a member of the Kingsguard.

The journey had been a long one which involved sleeping in inn's at night and riding as far away from both Cersei and the Princess' carriages as possible for Jaime. He had exchanged only a few words with Ser Arthur Dayne for he would either be riding beside Princess Visenya's carriage or with Prince Rhaegar and so Jaime could never talk for long.

Jaime had never visited King's Landing. His mother and father had but not him or Cersei. King's Landing was populous, but rather unsightly and dirty compared to the other cities Jaime had seen. There was a stench to city but it did not affect any of the travellers.

They had been received by the men who were part of the small council and all had paid more attention to the King and Jaime's father, not bothering to even spare a glance at the children except for Princess Visenya. On entering the Red Keep, the Princess had been the first one to run off.

He and Cersei had been led by one of Prince Rhaegar's squire to the Tower of the Hand, where they would be staying for the duration of their visit.

"Why didn't you?" Cersei asked, the moment they were alone.

"I couldn't.", he replied simply.

"Jaime. Look at me." Cersei spoke up and Jaime flinched at her tone. He turned around to look at her and she continued, "Do you not see what she has done to me? And what she is doing to you now?"

"She did nothing to me or you. She is just a girl Cersei.", he reasoned without much success.

"Don't let her appearance fool you Jaime. She is doing this intentionally. She plays innocent but she isn't.", Cersei replied and Jaime felt like this would go on for a while. He didn't want that right now. He would talk to Cersei only when she would speak sense otherwise the same conversation would have to be repeated again.

"Cersei, don't. Not right now. I'm tired." He really was tired after their long journey and sleep sounded wonderful right now. He would just have to leave his sister for now and find her later to apologise. With this thought, he walked out of the room and tried to tune out the harsh whispers of his sister calling out his name, again and again.


	5. Chapter 5

**VISENYA**

She was finally home. The moment her father had accepted to leave Lannisport, she had accepted it gladly and relieved. Getting away from that place sounded like the most wonderful thing she had ever heard but the moment had been ruined almost immediately. Her father had cruelly denied Cersei Lannister's hand in marriage for his son and the meal had turned only sour after that. She had wondered if she and Rhaegar should have apologised to Cersei or at the least to Lord Tywin but her father had taught her that Targaryens are above the laws of man and Gods alike, they bow to no one. Even Rhaegar had told her not to apologise " _for those were the words of our father, we did not say them and so we did no wrong."_

The Red Keep, the place she was born and brought up in, was her home. She held no outright love for this place (the skulls of dragons on the walls of the Great Hall were slightly creepy) but it was familiar and hence comforting in a strange sort of way. It felt wonderful to be home and she had quickly run off to find some of the girls she had come to consider her friends.

 _She was walking on cobbled street along some bay. She had never been here, did not recognise a single stone. She continued to walk straight ahead, not thinking of where the path was leading her until she saw a castle overlooking the bay. Screams were coming from the castle and she feared that she knew that voice, had heard it a number of times._

 _"Father!", she had thought, the voice could only belong to that man. She had ran inside,looking around, trying to find her father but then the scream stopped._

 _There were men and women walking around her yet no face was clear, they appeared to be nothing but hazy blurs. She tried to figure out their faces but still nothing happened. She called out to a lady that was walking her way but the lady walked right past her, ignoring her entire existence._

 _"Visenya.", a soft voice called out, a voice so kind and motherly that she followed that voice, trying to find the source. It wasn't a woman she came across, but her own father, imprisoned in the room._

 _"Father!", she called out, hoping that this time she would be seen. That her father would finally look up at her and tell her where she was._

 _Her father did not hear her or look up. He just sat there._

 _"Father, are you all right?", she asked as she approached him but before she could reach him, the scene dissolved._

 _She stood behind a man. He was wearing a white armour and cloak, and she quickly realised that he was a member of the Kingsguard. She watched as another man came to slay the unknown Kingsguard. She screamed, horrified at what she had witness. Before she could even look upon the face of the Kingsguard and perhaps establish whether she knew him, the scene changed again._

 _She saw Ser Barristan as he rode on his horse, wounded, an arrow in his chest._

She suddenly woke up, sweat dripping from her brow. She did not know what kind of a dream it was but it felt real. She had seen her father locked up, a Kingsguard killed and another injured. The fear that gripped her was one that almost crippled her.

The door to her chamber opened and a handmaiden entered, "Princess, you are up. Shall I draw you a bath then?"

Visenya nodded absentmindedly and asked, "Have you seen my father?"

"No Princess, but I have been down in the kitchens all morning.", the handmaiden, a girl almost twice her age, replied.

"Do you know if anybody has seen my father?", she asked, hoping that the girl would say yes. The image of her father imprisoned was still very clear in her mind.

The girl shook her head, indicating a no and she decided it was best to look for her father herself. It might be that she was too paranoid, she feared her father's imprisonment while her father could just be sitting in his throne room or resting himself.

With a quick bath she had headed towards the Great Hall, hoping that just like everyday her father would be sitting on the throne he considered to be too precious. She had stepped out of the bedchambers to see Ser Barristan standing guard and seeing him unharmed had decreased her fears and she had hugged him and quickly walked out in search for her father. Ser Barristan was following her as usual and perhaps it was the hug or her quick strides that had drawn the man's attention easily.

"Is something troubling you, my young Princess?" Ser Barristan asked.

Sometimes he was more of a father to Visenya than her own one. He would call her "my young princess" affectionately and while she detested any such names, she had come to like this one but only when it came from this man.

"No my dear Ser, it is nothing. I just wish to see my father and break my fast with him if possible.", she reasoned hoping that he would buy the excuse.

"I believe your father would have already broken fast, my young Princess.", he spoke up and Visenya partially agreed that it could be true.

"Well if that be the case, will you be kind enough to break fast with me Ser?", she asked wishing for some company for the time being.

"It would be a delightful honour.", he had replied simply.

It appeared Ser Barristan had been right. Her father and broken his fast and so true to his words Ser Barristan had given he company while she broke her fast though he touched no food. He had explained something about her being the Princess and him just a Knight of the Kingsguard and though she had tried to coax him into eating, he had politely declined.

After that she had followed her father to visit her newborn brother, for her father did not allow even her mother to stay with Viserys alone and as she had headed out, she came face to face with Jaime Lannister.

"Master Jaime.", she had greeted and simply smiled. The only Lannister to have shown any kindness, no matter how small, in the lion's den would receive the same from her, she had vowed. The boy was handsome did add to the cause too.

"Princess Visenya.", he offered a weak smile and she feared this meeting was ill-timed.

"I feel you are not present here. Forgive me if I have interrupted your peace." She gave a quick bow and side-stepped him to leave.

"No, my Princess, I assure you that you have done no such deed.", he had answered, preventing her from leaving and making her wonder if Jaime Lannister was just as kind to every lady he ever met.

"I… I was wondering if your sister was well after… everything.", she asked weakly, hoping to strike up a conversation with the boy.

It appeared her words had angered the boy for the very next moment he launched a tirade, "Do you really believe she is well? The way your father treated her was uncalled for. He may be the King but that is not how a King acts. He believes she is not worthy of your brother. I assure you that it is in fact your brother who is unworthy of a girl like Cersei. She may not be a Targaryen but she is the most beautiful girl in the Seven Kingdoms, more beautiful that even you. You have no right to question her honour and upbringing. Unworthy! You all think her unworthy yet she is twice the lady you shall ever be."

"I…", she weakly tried to defend herself and her family but he cut him off, "You what? You want to cause her more harm? Is she not embarrassed enough for you and your family? What more can we do to satisfy you?"

By now his words had reduced her to tears and she quickly took off, wanting nothing more than to get away from his harsh words. The childish love she held for the boy died that day and she swore to never be foolish enough to fall for a boy she had met no more than a moon before.


	6. Chapter 6

**JAIME**

Six moons. It had been six moons since Jaime had been staying in the Red Keep with his father and Cersei. And most of the time had been spent almost alone. His father, as Hand, was always busy. Busy with the King, the small council, some Lord or another. Always busy with little time or affection to spare. While he had hoped that atlas Cersei would be available, she too was busy. Busy impressing the Crown Prince. Why, Jaime would never understand. The King had denied the betrothal and the Prince himself seemed to care more for his sister, the Princess than Cersei. This reminded him that he had yet to apologise to the Princess for his behaviour upon arriving in King's Landing. But he had yet to pluck up the courage for that. And honestly after what had happened a few days past his eleventh name day, he preferred to stay away from the Royal family.

The Defiance of Duskendale, small folks were calling it. Jaime knew most of what had happened. The Lord of Duskendale had made certain demands to the King and the King had denied them all outright. Lord Denys Darklyn had further refused to pay taxes to the crown and the King had travelled with Ser Gwayne Gaunt of the Kingsguard and a small force of men to arrest and execute Lord Denys and had been imprisoned. It was assumed that Ser Gwayne was dead already.

He still recalled the day the news had come of the King's imprisonment. The Queen had gone silent, not saying a word to anyone, which made it harder for everybody to gauge out her reaction. Prince Rhaegar had been on his visit to Dragonstone when they had received this news but the Prince had returned with Ser Arthur to King's Landing soon after. But it had been the little Princess who had haunted him the most. At the young age of eight, she had been able to make the knights of the Kingsguard, screaming at them about how they had the sole job to protect the King. For the first time, Jaime had seen her as more than a scared, little girl. She had not cried but had been the only one to voice her anger at even his father! The girl had dared to shout at Tywin Lannister of all men. And his father hadn't even retaliated. Which had made Jaime realise that his father would never talk down to the royal family. The King could speak ill of Cersei, the Princess could scream at his father but his father would not release his wrath. Not at them anyway.

And then the Prince had returned and Cersei had wanted to enter the Prince's chambers while Ser Oswell Whent had stood guard. The knight had denied them entry and Cersei had told him to step aside as she was the daughter of the Hand of the King.

The Princess had come across them then and enquired, "What is going on here?"

Ser Oswell answered before he or Cersei could, "The Prince has left instructions to not be disturbed."

"I demand to see the Prince, Ser. I'm Cersei _Lannister_ , the _daughter_ of your Lord Hand.", his sister had said, putting emphasis on her house name and her relation to their father.

The Princess turned to them, fixing him and Cersei with a pointed look (him more than Cersei), and replied, "And he is _Prince_ Rhaegar Targaryen, the _son_ of the King. And if he has no desire to see you then he won't, no matter how much you argue." She had turned then, quickly side stepped Ser Oswell and entered the Prince's chambers. What a slap to their face it had been. It had taken a long time for Cersei to calm down after that. And again Jaime realised that the Princess could be harsh, she just chose to be kind and soft-spoken.

That had happened just two days prior and now here he was. Luggage packed as the servants prepared their horses. He was to leave for Crakehall this instant while Cersei would go back to Casterly Rock. His father would soon be leaving for Duskendale and had preferred for his children to be away from King's Landing. He and Cersei would travel together till Casterly Rock, before he would head forward to Crakehall, where he would serve as a squire to Lord Sumner Crakehall.

He waited outside the Red Keep for Cersei as she climbed into her carriage. His relationship with Cersei had strained since Princess Visenya had made an appearance in their lives. Cersei was a little cold to him now, refraining from even kissing him. His father had not come to bid them farewell as he was with the Prince and some others, making plans to rescue the King. He was about to climb his horse when he saw the Queen and the Princess making their way towards them.

The Queen approached them first and he saw that she was carrying Prince Viserys with her.

"I hope you and your sister were comfortable here, my boy." Queen Rhaella spoke up and he realised that for the first time in his life he was speaking to the Queen. She hadn't received them on their arrival, too weak after son's birth and now she had come to bid farewell as a proper host should.

"Of course, Your Grace. Thank you for your hospitality.", he answered obediently and made a proper bow. The Queen satisfied with that, smiled and turned her attention back to the babe in her arms, who was crying for her attention.

"Come Visenya. It appears your brother doesn't like it here.", the Queen spoke this to her daughter and turned away from him.

The Princess stood a moment, evaluating him before she uttered two words, "Safe travels."

He watched her take a few steps away from him before he spoke up, "Thank you, my Princess." She had turned at that and Jaime was relieved that she had acknowledged him at the least.

"I…", he paused for a moment, wondering if he should say what he was planning on speaking but decided against it.

"May I ask for your forgiveness, my princess. I was unkind to you during my stay. My behaviour was appalling at the least.", he finally said.

"It matters not now. We shall let bygones be bygones, Master Jaime. I hope you are knighted soon." She offered a weak smile at that and Jaime let the matter go. There was no point in asking for further forgiveness or even speak of her father. Also by now a Lannister soldier had made an appearance by his side.

"My Lady has asked you to hurry Master Jaime."

"Of course.", he had replied to the soldier and then turned back to the girl in front of him, thinking of muttering a quick goodbye. But she had already turned and was making her way up the stairs. He stared at her, waiting for her to look back perhaps even once but the Princess did not offer him a backward glance and disappeared into the Red Keep, lost to him.

It had taken a week into the travel before Cersei had finally come to him and asked, "You like her?"

"Who?", Jaime asked, not knowing what his sister was even talking of. Over the years, he had learnt one thing about Cersei. She asks unknown things for reasons unknown.

"Oh, do not pretend in front of me Jaime. I saw you with her when we were leaving. Was she crying for you, begging you to not leave her alone? Tell me, Jaime."

"I honestly have no idea who you are talking of Cersei.", Jaime replied, slightly affronted that she would believe he could like any girl apart from her.

"The bloody Princess, who else?",she bit out the question.

"Princess Visenya? Of course not Cersei. Why would I like her?"

"Then what were you doing with her that day? Tell me!", she shouted at him and he feared that the rest of their company would hear her.

"She and the Queen had come to greet us for our journey home is all. There is nothing there Cersei. You have my word."

For now, it appeared, his words had placated her. "Very well. But I'm telling you Jaime, beware of her. She is a little whore, I'm telling you!"

 _She is a little girl,_ Jaime wanted to say but he knew that these words would only anger Cersei, not make her see reason.


	7. Chapter 7

**JAIME**

278 AD

His thirteenth name day was soon approaching and he was riding to Casterly Rock. It appeared his father had strike fear in his lords and while other squires were not allowed to leave their lords much, Jaime would often ride to the Rock to meet his sister. It appeared being away from King's Landing had done a lot to help their relationship. With no Targaryen around, Prince or Princess, and the lack of their father at the Rock meant it was little need to sneak around or fight.

He had been greeted by a soldier decked in Lannister colours who he had immediately dismissed. He did not need a soldier to show him around his own place. He had travelled hard and fast to reach the Rock when news of Cersei being called to King's Landing again, this time for potential suitors for her marriage. And he now walked hurriedly to his sister's chambers. He would take care of this. He would not let Cersei marry any Lord's son. They could run away to the Free Cities or anywhere for that matter. He had brought his important belongings with him and so now he just needed Cersei to pack and they could run off before anybody got wind of it.

He did not bother knocking on her doors and entered straightaway but to his surprise she was not in the chambers. He checked the chambers once to be sure before asking one of the servants about her.

"Lady Cersei rode for King's Landing two days back, m'lord.", the servant replied.

"What do you mean? Who took her?", Jaime raged, irritated beyond imagination.

"Lord Tywin sent a small party for the lady with clear instructions to leave in a day's notice, m'lord.", the servant answered meekly.

He had dismissed that foolish servant and made to leave for King's Landing. He had assured Cersei he would take care of this matter and so he would. He was all ready to leave when his brother approached him.

At five name days old, Tyrion was quite smart. He would read all day and hide away most of the time, especially when Cersei would be around.

"Tyrion.", Jaime called out and smiled at his little brother. He bent down to hug his little brother.

"You gave no message of arrival Jaime. Why are you here?", Tyrion asked. His brother, so small in both build and age and yet he was capable of asking questions even Maesters could not answer.

"I…-", Jaime paused. What could he tell his brother, that he loved Cersei, that he had thought of running away with her, leaving Tyrion behind. Little Tyrion, who father disliked.

"I missed you and Cersei, brother." Jaime said simply and then quickly changed the topic, "How have you been, Tyrion?"

"I am well. But what of you. Tell me how long will it take for you to be knighted? Do you think I too will be sent to Lord Crakehall for squiring?", Tyrion asked in but a single breath.

Now how was Jaime to answer such questions. Tyrion may be smart but he was still a child who was yet to understand exactly what being a dwarf would come to mean. Sure, even now people disliked him, whispered about him but Tyrion was kept inside the Rock for most of the time and had little knowledge of the world outside. He knew of his books alright but not the real world.

Jaime just chuckled lightly and answered, "I have just arrived Tyrion. Let me rest and we shall discuss this matter afterwards."

His brother nodded along and Jaime decided it was foolish, his entire idea of running away. His brother needed him. His brother who was still small, even if he was probably smarter than people twice his age. Yes, for now Cersei would have to wait. His brother was more important.

He had sent a letter to Cersei of course. A short message, sarcastic one mostly. He had just told her he hoped she enjoyed the Red Keep and to spite her, he had in the end asked about the welfare of Princess Visenya.

Jaime never understood why but only Princess Visenya could ruffle his sister's feathers. And then he thought of the Princess. He honestly didn't remember much about her. He just remember that she was small with skin of porcelain. And that she had shouted at his father.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tyrion entered his solar. "What brings you here, brother?", Jaime asked upon noting the boy.

"I thought we could sup together.", Tyrion answered simply and padded in, towards the chair beside Jaime.

"Are there really dragon heads in the Red keep?", Tyrion asked after a moment. It was to be expect really. Tyrion had always been interested in dragons and the like and he could only ask Jaime this question and not their father or Cersei.

"Yes there are. The skull of Balerion, Aegon the Conqueror's dragon, is also there. And not only the dungeons but even the wall of the throne room are adored with dragon heads.", Jaime answered, watching as his brother lapped up the new information.

"Everybody talks of the Crown Prince and his sister here. Is the Princess really named Visenya? Like one of Aegon's sister-wife?", Tyrion asked quickly, his mind working a hundred miles an hour.

"Yes. She really is named so."

"Does she have a sword as well? Do you think she too can ride a dragon? Perhaps she will have a dragon soon. She could name it Vhagar, don't you think?"

"Dragons have been dead for a long time Tyrion. I doubt she will find a dragon, let alone ride one.", Jaime answered his brother.

"What is she like? And the Prince? The King as well?", Tyrion excitedly continued.

Jaime laughed at his brother, amazed at the boy in front of him. No, not a boy… Just a child.

"Well one at a time, Tyrion. You need to slow down for me."

"Well the King first. Tell me a story about him.", Tyrion requested as their food was being served.

"I have never spoken to the King myself, Tyrion. Nor the Crown Prince.", Jaime answered and added bitterly, "Though I'm sure Cersei will have much to say about him."

His brother it appeared understood enough to stop talk of the Prince, "So you have spoken to the Princess?"

"And the Queen. Though not much really. The Queen had come to greet us when me and Cersei were leaving King's Landing." Now the Queen, Jaime remembered clearly. Pale white skin, weak even after months of childbirth and yet so graceful with a kind face. And probably a beauty in the prime of her time.

"The Princess then? And the little Prince?", Tyrion asked again.

"The little Prince was a babe the last timeI saw him. A babe who did nothing for obvious reasons. And the Princess… well…-", what could Jaime tell about that girl.

"She actually screamed at our father once.", Jaime spoke after swallowing his bite.

"Really?", Tyrion gasped.

Jaime nodded in affirmation.

"Wow. Can I meet her?", Tyrion asked after they had finished their sup.

Jaime smiled wistfully and answered, "Someday. But now I believe it is time for your bed, young Lord."

Jaime left for Crakehall the next morning at dawn.


	8. Chapter 8

**VISENYA**

280 AD

It is a big event of course. Her brother Rhaegar is getting married to the daughter of the ruling Princess of Dorne. Her brother's bride Elia Nymeros Martell is best described as exotic. Elia Martell is olive-skinned while ladies of the court are porcelain skinned. She smells of something definitely not Westerosi. But Elia is kind, kinder than most girls and ladies in the court. Like Visenya said, exotic.

Elia stands in the Great Sept of Baelor as the lone Targaryen attending Rhaegar's wedding. Her father had been the one to fix this marriage and yet he had stated (in quite choosy words) that he would not attend the wedding under any circumstance. Her father had even put a stop of Viserys attending this wedding and her mother had to stay behind to take care of Viserys. At eleven, Visenya is finally starting to see glimpses of her father's paranoia. But she is a mute spectator like her mother, like her elder brother.

She turns as Elia enters the Sept, her Martell maiden cloak trailing behind her and again, Visenya notices how different Elia is from Visenya and even Rhaegar. Visenya and Rhaegar are both fair-skinned, silver haired with purple eyes, while Elia is all olive skinned with dark hair and dark eyes, like she has been kissed by the sun. Which is not surprising, after all Elia is from Dorne and many Dornish men and women consider her to be the sun of Dorne. Elia's brother Oberyn Martell stands beside Visenya and Visenya knows that Oberyn does not like Rhaegar. She also knows that Rhaegar is not overly fond of Oberyn as well. Visenya on the hand is strongly attracted to the man. Olive-skinned like his sister, Oberyn has black 'Viper' eyes and a body and reputation that draws Visenya. It is almost like he is a man out of the songs of the bards. There is also the fact that he has a quick wit and a smile that has Visenya turning red.

She does not remember much of the wedding really because she was too busy thinking of how it would be if she were to marry Prince Oberyn. After all it has happened in the past when Daeron Targaryen had wed the Princess of Dorne and his sister Daenerys had married the Prince of Dorne. But alas, Prince Oberyn looks at her like she is a child and she also knows that she is too young compared to the Prince who is roughly the same age as her brother.

It is after the wedding, during the feast that Visenya talks to Elia properly. Visenya gives Elia a smile as she approaches the older girl and Elia speaks up, "Thank you for attending the wedding, my Princess."

Visenya shakes her head and answers, "There is no need for that. After all, it was my brother's wedding. And please call me Visenya. We are kin now."

"Only if you call me Elia.", her good-sister replies and Visenya realises that she actually does like Elia Martell and is rather happy having her as a member of the family.

"Are you enjoying this feast then?" Visenya asks, because she and her mother had spent a lot of time preparing for all this and she would like to be appreciated.

"Yes. It is wonderful. I must thank your family for it all.", Elia replies sweetly with a slight Dornish accent that Prince Oberyn also has.

"Our family, you mean. You are a Targaryen now after all. The Princess of Dragonstone and a Queen-in-waiting." The way Elia reacts to those words, Visenya knows that she has scared the poor girl.

"Do not worry. You can come to me, though I probably won't be much help, or my mother anytime you want.", Visenya speaks, hoping to comfort Elia. Elia sends a grateful smile her way and Visenya takes her leave after that hoping to find Prince Oberyn to dance with.

A few days later, everybody starts leaving. The Dornish retinue leaves for Dorne and the Tyrells and the guests who had come for the wedding all start to disperse. However, Cersei Lannister does stay in court and Visenya truly dislikes her (which is why she was even more happy when Elia was chosen to marry her brother and not Lady Cersei). Visenya is an obedient host, mindful of her duty as she curtsies and smiles at the men and women who leave King's Landing and wishes them farewell in the absence of her mother.

What saddens her is the moment when Rhaegar informs her that Elia and he are taking up residence on Dragonstone. Before his marriage, Rhaegar had visited Dragonstone in numerous times, taking Visenya with him on the last few occasions. But this time it is a permanent move, this time Visenya is not leaving with Rhaegar. For the first time, she feels something akin to jealousy towards Elia because the moment Elia came, Visenya had become less important to Rhaegar. She is so angry that she does not even go to bid him farewell. But Rhaegar does come to her chambers moments before leaving.

"Are you not going to bid me farewell?", he asks her softly.

"Would it matter if I do? You are leaving with your wife and leaving me behind.", Visenya tells her brother.

"Elia is the Princess of Dragonstone now. I just thought it would be nice if got to visit the place and see it." Rhaegar answers as he still stands near the door of her chambers.

She tells her brother something she wanted to speak since the arrival of the news, "There was a time when you would take me with you. You used to say that you would prefer that I go with you rather than stay behind."

Rhaegar finally abandons his place by the door and moves towards the bed Visenya sits in. "You are my favourite Princess you know. I would love to take you with me to Dragonstone, I honestly wish to take you with me and Elia also readily agreed to that but… it's father. He will not send you with me, not this time."

Elia turns her head away from Rhaegar and whispers, "So you and Elia do not dislike me?"

Rhaegar laughs at that and laughing is so uncommon with Rhaegar that Visenya realises just how stupid she is being, "Of course not, dear. I love you and Elia herself adores you even she hasn't known you for long. Tell you what, I know you can't come right now but maybe you can come visit us. You will always be welcome there."

Visenya finally walks out of the Red Keep to bid farewell to Elia and Rhaegar. Rhaegar and Visenya cling to each other for a long time before she moves on to bid farewell to Elia. As she hugs Elia she hears the older lady whisper, "I know how hard it is to leave a brother. I left two."

Elia's kind words make Visenya smile and she replies, "Take good care of my brother. I know he is hard to understand, melancholic and unattached to this world but he is a good man, I promise."

Ever since her birth, Visenya has had an elder brother around. She has travelled without her mother, her father has been absent for a number of occasions but her brother has been a constant. A fixture of her childhood, of her life as the Princess of the Seven Kingdoms and as she waves to her brother and his bride, for the first time in life Visenya feels truly alone. She feels that the life she knew will never come back, that the tides have changed forever. She cries herself to sleep that night simply because Rhaegar has left.


	9. Chapter 9

**JAIME**

281 AC

He is carrying Lord Sumner's armour, steel pieces that he can barely hold aloft, and a jar of water when he literally bumps into somebody causing all his possessions to fall and drenching his clothes with water. He turns vexed towards the person who is the cause of such trouble and unsurprisingly it is a wench. _It is always a girl_ , he muses, _problems and girls go hand in hand_. The wench before him wears a piece of clothes, a scarf it seems, which covers her head and lower part of her face, and when he hears people running towards them from a distance he asks her, "Are you a thief? Tell me, what did you steal?"

"What?!" The girl asks surprised. "I didn't steal anything. Quick just hide me please. Please." Her voice is slightly muffled by the piece of cloth but as she pleads with him, he thinks that she is in trouble and needs to be rescued.

He is the knight in shining armour as he grabs her by the arm towards the closest tent, "Quick! In now."

As they enter, he asks again, "So why are you in trouble exactly if you haven't stolen anything?"

"That is not your concern, Master Jaime.", the girl answers and he is surprised about her knowledge of him. But then again, he is Jaime _Lannister_. It would be almost impossible to not know him.

"Well, if you know me I believe it only fair that I know you." He speaks. From the way she walks, she doesn't seem like a commoner and even her way of speaking is something less common and more noble.

"How could I ever allow that to happen?", she asks and walks around him to leave. He however is quick to grab her.

"You have sullied my clothes. Atleast tell me your name wench. I need to know which Lord to demand new clothes from." He smirks down at her and stares as she removes the part of the cloth which covers her mouth and speaks, "I assure you, you will never be able to demand anything of my father."

Her quick departure leaves him further gobsmacked. What Lord could raise a girl like that only the Gods know.

He gets the wench out of his head, only remembering that she was wearing a purple gown and blue scarf (to find her again) and busies himself in getting ready. This is a big tourney for him for he has heard that a member of the royal family is coming which means that Knights of the Kingsguard are coming. He has full plans to impress them.

As is customary in the presence of royalty, before beginning their joust he and his opponent head out to the audience to bow down to the aforementioned royalty. He freezes and instantly recognises ow majorly he has fucked up when he bows down in front of the girl he had called a wench, the girl who was seated above the rest of the people, the girl with silver hair and indigo eyes, the girl called Princess Visenya.

She too recognises him and gives him a little smirk before telling the people that the tournament may begin. He is distracted a little by the events of the day but he still manages to win the melee as it is only for squires and truly he knows there are no better squires than him. He also wants to win for the victor could participate in the campaign against the Kingswood Brotherhood. It is this Knighthood which had actually brought the Knights of the Kingsguard here. The Knighthood had been causing trouble all over Westeros and finally the King had allowed his knights to help the people. Though why the Princess was travelling with them is unknown to him.

As the tourney ends, the Princess descends down the stairs to hand the victors their price of 500 dragons to each victor. As she appears before him, he bows addressing her as the Princess.

"I believe congratulations are in order, my Lord." She remarks and Jaime is truly blown away by her and just how much she has grown. When he had last seen her, she was a mere child, small and doll-like. Her skin is still porcelain and she still looks like a doll but she is growing into her womanhood and very pretty for her age.

"Thank you, my Princess." He pauses and as she starts to walk away, he clears his throat loudly to draw her attention. "I believe I must apologise…", he stutters as he speaks and she just waves him off.

"For calling me a wench or a thief?", she asks amused by his demeanour and laughs when he turns red with embarrassment. "Already forgiven."

He breathes a sigh of relief as she departs followed by the Kingsguard Knights. He remembers her as a little girl, hiding behind people, soft-spoken and too shy but now she seems to have develop a little confidence and he almost thinks that the Visenya Targaryen he knew was a myth.

By nightfall, he discovers that Lord Crakehall is playing host to the royal party which means she is staying in the same castle as him. The news actually delights him, he doesn't know why. There is something about the Princess, he decides, which draws him in. So when the feast begins he dares to ask her for a dance and she shies away from him before agreeing. So she isn't that confident yet.

She is graceful on her feet, much better than him atleast. "So what brings you here, my Princess?" He asks casually as they begin to dance. It is the weirdest thing ever but he decides that he likes her fingers. They are as pale as the rest of her but they are slim and narrow and very soft.

"I desired to travel a little. Father was sending half the Kingsguard to fight the Brotherhood and so I begged him to let me go. Took some convincing but I managed it. How goes your training, my Lord? Lord Sumner was telling me he might knight you soon.", she answers and he smiles at the thought of finally being knighted. It is all he has ever desired, apart from Cersei of course.

Which brings him to his next question, "How is everything in King's Landing? My father and sister serve you well?" When he asks questions like these, he is reminded of his father and how much he sounds like said man.

"I suppose.", she answers off-handedly and asks him about Tyrion. That is the surprising part. For one, he knows the Princess has never met Tyrion and two, no one ever asks about Tyrion.

"He is well. Curious little man but sharp-witted." Jaime smiles thinking of his brother. It has two moons since he has seen his little brother.

The rest of the song is spent in silence and when she finally moves away from him to depart she speaks, "Good luck against the Brotherhood Lord Jaime. I shall await all of yours return."

He thanks her for her wishes and places a chaste kiss upon her knuckles to thank her for the dance.

Two days later, he is departing to search for the Brotherhood. He sees the Knights of the Kingsguard bowing down to and accepting something from the Princess as they prepare to leave and he decides to approach her. He is surprised but it seems he has come to see her as a friend in the two days that she has stayed. They have met in passing and more than once has he escorted her somewhere as she charms him with her wit. He finds her delightful lately and truly considers her to be among the people he can claim he knows.

"Princess.", he speaks after the last of the Knights bows down and takes her leave.

"Ah, Jaime. I told you could call me Visenya. Honestly, I don't mind.", she remarks as she spots him.

"And as I have said, my Princess, it would be highly improper to do so. However, I have come to say goodbye before I leave.", he answers her. They are on first name basis but he still knows that there is a difference between them. No matter what position his father holds, his old man is still a Lord while the girl before him is the daughter of a King. He has had enough lessons on propriety to know how to greet who.

"Oh well then here, take this.", she tells him as she removes a ribbon from around her wrist. "I gave them to my Knights and I feel it fit to give one to you too." These words are spoken with slight uncertainty but he gratefully accepts the ribbon.

"That is very kind of you, my Princess. Perhaps, once I return I can take you riding as I had promised." This agreement had happened when she had told him she enjoyed riding. He had promised her then that if she would find the time then he would take her for a ride to a few places around the castle.

"Oh it would be an honour, my Lord.", she speaks before curtsying and he bows in return before taking off. He has one of his companions tie the ribbon around his wrist and is surprised and slightly threatened when Ser Arthur Dayne looks narrowly at the ribbon and scrutinises him.

He has met Ser Arthur before, though rarely spoken to him. And in the past two days he has spent almost as much time with Ser Arthur as with the Princess for the man is her shadow. While those times the Knight has been slightly cold towards him and pretending that Jaime didn't exist, this time the look is almost too close and too personal, like he is assessing him, testing him or something.


	10. Chapter 10

**VISENYA**

Three days after their departure she hears the sound of the horn which marks the return of the men from their campaign against the Brotherhood. She quickly runs outside to welcome them, trying hard to spot Ser Arthur Dayne. It had been her brother's doing due to which Ser Arthur had become her own protector. She knows their friendship runs deep, her brother's and the knight's. Ser Arthur is the first to volunteer for any trip that Rhaegar has to take. It was when both she and Rhaegar had to go on two different trips at the same time that Rhaegar had told Ser Arthur to accompany Visenya. Rhaegar had always told her that he trusted Ser Arthur with Visenya's life and with their father's growing mood swings and madness, Rhaegar had been very strict with her security.

However, before she can look for Ser Arthur or any other Knight of her Kingsguard, she spots Jaime Lannister in the front riding his horse and from the looks of it heading straight for her. He stops his horse just two steps away from her.

She greets him as he gets down from his horse. "Welcome back, Lord Jaime."

"Ser.", he corrects her, slightly out of breathe, "It is Ser Jaime now, your Highness."

"You were knighted?" she asks excitedly before jumping into his arm. She is just thankful that he was quick to catch her. Though this union is interrupted when Ser Jaime, who still has her in his arms, clears his throat and whispers throatily "Princess."

It is like she has been burned as she is put down on the ground and her cheeks turn red. Truly, she was just so excited that Jaime had been knighted that she hadn't remembered the company.

"Well…" Lord Sumner said after a moment, trying to diffuse the air, "I believe it only right we celebrate before I let go of my freshly Knighted squire. What do you say Ser Jaime?" She knows they are only having a celebration because Lord Sumner is a lord under the newly knighted boy's father. She knows how these men try to get in the good graces of powerful people. So other knight would have had this kind of celebration.

Still, she sees Jaime nod along slightly uncomfortable because she knows celebrations are not his cup of tea. So she quickly distracts him by asking, "Save me a dance?"

He instantly smiles at her before saying, "Always."

She quickly moves to Ser Arthur who she has almost stated to consider a brother. He and Rhaegar are the same age, they are close and both are protective of her. The similarities make it easy for her to regard him as such.

The feast is already in swing by the time she enters the hall, for the first time unaccompanied by any of her Knights. They had protested but she had urged them to enjoy themselves for one night for she still had to write to Elia. Elia and her had become close over the short years that they had known each other, growing even closer after the birth of Rhaenys. Visenya had spent a number of days at Elia's bedside with Rhaegar and taken care of Rhaenys more than once. Truly, Visenya absolutely adored both Elia and Rhaenys.

However, the moment she had entered the hall she had been swept into a dance by the guest of honour.

"Ser Jaime!", she had exclaimed, surprised by the young man's appearance.

"My Princess. I was wondering where you were. You look lovely as always, of course." He spoke as he glided her smoothly across the dance floor.

She laughed before telling him that flattery doesn't suit him. "So how does it feel to be knighted?"

"It is everything I ever desired. So what are your plans now? Which new Lord is the Princess going to charm on her journey?"

"Oh, I am returning home. I was only allowed to be away for as long as the Kingsguards had to deal with the Brotherhood. That is done so I have to return back. What of you? I believe you will return to Casterly Rock now."

She sees him weigh his options before speaking, "Well if you would so allow, my Princess, perhaps,… uh… you know… I could accompany you to King's Landing. I mean, my father and sister are there."

"Oh. That is a wonderful idea, Jaime. I wouldn't mind at all. It would be nice to have somebody closer to my age. And, what is the harm in having another knight to protect me?"

He flashes her a devilish smile and she is reminded of another man who would smile like that for her. The man she considers to be her true love - Oberyn Martell. She had always made sure to visit Dragonstone when Prince Oberyn was visiting his sister because said sister knew of Visenya's feelings. As a matter of fact, Elia had been the only one who knew of it. Visenya had told her, in giggles and whispers, and Elia had laughed to her heart's content but never judged Visenya.

The mere thought of that olive-skinned man, with dark hair and viper-like eyes and that Dornish accent brought a blush to her face.

"Princess."

She instantly turned to the person who had drawn her out of her thoughts. "Yes Ser Arthur?"

"The song is about to end. Perhaps, you should have something to eat now. You must be hungry."

That was when she realised that she was still in the arms of Jaime Lannister and Prince Oberyn Martell wasn't even here. She quickly detached herself from Jaime, offering him a smile for the dance before starting to move away.

"Maybe I should get you something to drink, my Princess. You look a little flustered." Ser Jaime had spoken before she could fully turn away and she saw a small smile on his face. But Ser Arthur had been quick to cut the man again. "I will get the _Princess_ whatever she needs _Ser_ Jaime. You should enjoy the celebration."

No protest could emit from her mouth as Ser Arthur took her away. Really, she always got so out of sort where Prince Oberyn was concerned. As she sat on the dais with food in her belly and wine in her hand, her eyes swept the hall at once searching for a blond haired knight.

"Looking for someone, Princess?" The object of her gaze asked as he moved to stand beside her.

"I was searching for you. But now it appears, you always find me before I can spot you." She remarked.

"Well, it is hard to not spot such a beauty in the crowd." It is laughable that he finds her beautiful when she doesn't think of herself as such. She had always thought of herself to be slightly fat, too short with pale skin and dull hair. Really, who had silver hair?

"I would say of the two of us, it is you who is the better looking one, my dear Ser.", she remarks remembering how even at seven years of age, she had found Jaime lannister to be handsome.

"My! You flatter me, my Princes. What have I done to deserve such high praise from you?" She is surprised at just how easily this young man can charm her and how effortlessly she can just talk to him.

"Oh well. The feast is getting quite boring and you are the saviour here for me, Ser. I believe you deserve all the praise you get."

"Oh, well if you are bored then may I join you. I assure you my company is highly enjoyable." Ever so polite. Even when he was cocky and showing that air of superiority he remembered the post he and she were on.

She nods, pointing to the seat beside her with a show of her hand, "It would be a delight to have you as company."

And she hadn't been wrong. He had truly been delightful, making her laugh, passing comments on the people who were present, making fun of the Lords who were too drunk to distinguish day from night. By the end of the night, he had her stitches, winning her over with his effortless charm and wit.

She didn't know why Ser Arthur was so miffed to know that Ser Jaime was travelling with them but one look from her had sent him scurrying away, ordering the men to ready for departure.

She herself then moved towards her carriage where Ser Jaime was already waiting.

"Did you want something Jaime?", she asked him the moment he was within hearing distance.

"Well not want but give." He elaborated on seeing her confused face. "Here.", he said, handing her the black ribbon she had given him before he had left to fight the Brotherhood. "As much I do not want to return it, I saw that the ribbon had a Targaryen seal in the corner and realised that you might need it."

"Oh no no. It was given to you as a favour. Truly, I want you to have it.", she answered at once denying the offer.

"Really? Are you certain, my Princess." He asked, all wide-eyed.

"Why are you surprised?", she asked curious as to what was so shocking about this offer.

"Well, I had seen the Kingsguard value it above all during the fight and I realised it must be of great importance."

"Oh! That! It is nothing. Every time they go on a journey, I give them a favour each. I like to think of it as a part of me. Being the King's daughter means I do not get to travel much. Which is why I give these Knights a ribbon, a part of me which will travel to places I shall never see. I know it is really stupid but…"

"Oh no. It's not stupid at all, my Princess. And if this is the case then I too shall treasure it with my life. I almost didn't want to return it to you. I was wearing it, you know, when Ser Arthur knighted me. It is a special memorabilia of that day." His face lights up in the memory of the day which makes her smile.

"Well if that is the case then I truly don't believe there is any other who deserves this more than you. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Then I do not suppose you would mind tying it. I will wear it with pride everywhere I go." He says and offers his left wrist to her. She ties it, inspecting it for a moment before looking up at him. He is really close to her, so close that their foreheads almost touch. He leans in a little then, touching her forehead with his and she can hear the screams at the back of her mind which tell her to stop, which remind her that this is wrong. It is sound of the horse neighing which finally separates them and she pretends that she doesn't notice her quickened heartbeat.


	11. Chapter 11

**JAIME**

He doesn't even know what possessed him. It had been a foolish thing to do. A completely foolish thing. He should have remembered the markings, the lines and distinctions between them. He wasn't supposed to stand that close to her. She was the _Princess_ after all. After their departure, he had maintained as much distance from her as possible and from the looks of it, she was doing the same thing. The only conversation he had had with her after the morning of their departure was when he had offered them Casterly Rock for the night. And even then all he had said was that they could stay in Casterly Rock instead of some small inn where the Princess would still be in any form of danger. It had been a valid suggestion. Just because they had defeated the Brotherhood, didn't mean the West was altogether safe. Plus, she was the Princess. Her life would always be in some form of danger or something. So a castle was better than an inn and he was just glad that Ser Arthur had himself agreed to that suggestion.

So he had offered her the place for the night, lying to himself that he only did it because that is what his father would have done. It was a delight to play host to her. He had seen the way Princess Visenya was with Lord Sumner, how she was so respectful and so kind with the Lord, how she would always stop to talk to him and thank him for being a gracious host at Crakehall. He wanted that right now. She was avoiding him but he wanted her to look at him, to reward him with a smile and thank him for offering the Rock for the night. The fact that he himself had been avoiding her was of no importance now. He wanted her to talk to him, simple as that.

But she was so… ugh. She was just driving him mad. She was with Tyrion! Tyrion! Laughing with him, talking with him, thanking the "young Lord" for offering his home… But it was Jaime who had done it. He had been the one to offer the place. She was supposed to thank him. He didn't even know what he was feeling anymore. All he knew was that if the Princess would laugh once more at something Tyrion said, he would walk upto the duo, drag her to him and kis-

He shook his head at that. He was going in a very wrong direction. He tried to clear his head but his ears instantly perked up at another laugh from the object of his scrutiny. Was she trying to kill him because he was certain she would be the death of him.

"Tyrion.", he finally snapped and immediately regretted the tone he had taken with his little brother. "I think we should let the Princess rest now. We have a long travel ahead of us.", he continued in a much more gentler tone.

"We? You are leaving too, Jaime?", his brother asked dejectedly.

He snuck a glance towards the Princess but she wasn't looking at him but at Tyrion.

"I have to, Tyrion. Father, I believe, wants to see me." It is not a complete lie. Jaime is certain his father would want to know of his Knighthood but then for that a letter would have sufficed. However, he is not so willing to let the Princess go yet.

"Can't Tyrion come?" _she_ asks and looks at him.

"Father will not want that I am sure." Tyrion answers for him and Jaime feels horrible for everything that has ever happened to Tyrion. Jaime had been a highly active child, running and jumping. He is positive that if their father had ordered for him to stay inside like he had done for Tyrion, Jaime would have simply run away.

He is drawn out of his thoughts when Tyrion says something to him.

"Sorry?", he asks not having caught a word his brother uttered.

"I said, you will come back soon won't you? Oh and bring me something from King's Landing."

This time on hearing his brother, he nods. "Yeah but for now I need to escort the Princess back to her chambers."

"Oh no no. It is quite alright. My Kingsguard is waiting outside for me." she interrupts quickly before turning to Tyrion, "It has been an absolute delight and honour to be in your company, my Young Lord."

"The honour has been all mine Princess. Thank you for visiting." Tyrion answers and Jaime steps aside to let one of their maids take Tyrion to his chambers.

He speaks up when it is just the two of them, "Ser Darry I assure you has already retired for the day. I swore to him upon my Knighthood that I would escort you to your chambers when you were done playing with my brother. You won't make me break an oath now, would you, Princess?"

"I assure you I do not need an escort so thank you Ser Jaime but you can leave." she replies and there is a slight bite in her tone which amuses him.

"If I recall correctly, the last time you were here my pretty little Princess, you had lost your way and _I_ had been the one to escort you back to your chambers. So shall we?" He offers his hand to her but she just walks past him and he quietly follows. After all, he is not letting the Princess run off so easily. She had outright ignored him through the supper, not even acknowledging his presence and now this! Like he would let it happen.

"Why are you following me?", she asked him as they walked and he retorted, "Why are you ignoring me?"

Without warning she stops and turns to him, "Really? Really? You are asking me why I am ignoring you! You are the one who started it." Just as quickly she turns back ahead and starts walking.

"You are going the wrong way. Take the right here.", he instructs when she continues straight ahead.

"So you are not going to acknowledge my words? For somebody who had trouble with me ignoring them, you have some nerve to not bother with my words." Still she takes the right he told about and as they reach her chambers he notices another Kingsguard waiting at the door.

He feels a pain in his chest as he watches her walk away without so much as a backward glance. This had been a horrible turn of events.

It only gets worse when they leave Casterly Rock and head to King's Landing. This time she doesn't even go out of her way to ignore him. She just instructs her Kingsguard that Jaime isn't allowed to see her and that puts a stop to all his attempts at approaching her. He may be a knight himself but these are the deadliest and finest of knights in Westeros and he is no fool to even think of going against them. However, that doesn't stop him from glaring daggers at the knights as they guard the Princess's carriage.

Things worsen further when they reach the Red Keep and by that point, Jaime is certain that all the Gods are against him. He is greeted by the Queen, he knows she is actually here for her daughter and not Jaime, and lo and behold Cersei Lannister herself. As the Queen ushers her daughter in after a quick greeting, Cersei comes to him, "I would have thought you would be here sooner. I wrote to you several moons ago about father's wish to have me married."

"Yet here you are. I am positive, hence, that I am not too late at all."

"Why are you here with her? What were you and the Princess doing?", she asks following him as he enters.

"Travelling. I have been knighted.", Jaime answers absent-mindedly as he takes in the surroundings, "Something wrong?"

"Ser Harlan Grandison passed away in his sleep last night it appears. Everybody is preparing for the rituals. I knew the Princess was bad luck. We have a death as she comes home." Cersei remarks and he still doesn't know why the Princess has gotten under Cersei's skin. But then again, that Targaryen has gotten under skin too. It is just a Visenya Targaryen thing, he assumes.

"You are forgetting she is not the only one to return. I did too. Also, Ser Grandison died last night and we have arrived just now. So we didn't bring death.", he remarks and bitterly muses that Cersei should have been happy for him, for the Knighthood he had craved. He can still remember the way Princess Visenya had jumped into his arms at that news and it seems like Cersei hadn't even heard him.

"Don't put yourself in the same group as her. Believe me we would all be better off without Visenya Targaryen in our life." The way she says those words, it almost sounds like a threat to the girl.

"Cersei…" he warns, not certain why he feels the need to jump to the girl's defence.

"Oh do not you worry. I am not foolish to ever do something to that girl. Not yet anyway."

He finally turns to properly look at Cersei for the first time since he is here and just as suddenly she seems so wrong. Her hair feel too blond and he wants them to be paler, her eyes too green when he desires more indigo-purplish, her skin sun-kissed from being brought up at the Rock when he desires it to be pale. Suddenly, she is just not as beautiful as he thought she was.


	12. Chapter 12

**ELIA**

She has come to King's Landing for only five days to be exact because it is Visenya's twelfth name day and Visenya had begged for Elia to come. There was a time when Elia loved to visit King's Landing. It was the time when she had been a newly married woman and the court kept talking of how charming she was. It was a time when she was carrying Rhaenys in her belly and people talked of the heir to the throne. When people did not whisper about her and called her weak or so Dornish like it was an insult. Before the King had called her little Rhaenys as "Dornish smelling" and showed no love for his first grandchild.

Now there are exactly three people she has any desire to see in King's Landing - her goodmother who has recently been distant from everyone and so Elia doesn't think the Queen wants to see her, little Viserys who is still fawning over her baby Rhaenys completely unaware of his father's views on his niece, and Visenya, a girl who has come to be a sister and friend. Which is why she knows there is something different about Visenya.

They haven't known each for long but Elia knows that Visenya considers Elia to be a sister in all but blood and Elia shares the same sentiment. Visenya had been amongst the first Targaryens to fully welcome her and accept her as family. Elia and Visenya know each other well, after all, they write letters to each other as regularly as possible. Which is why Elia notices the skittish behaviour Visenya has been displaying for the two days that Elia has been here. And she also knows the reason behind such a behaviour is a Knight of House Lannister.

When Elia had been married to Rhaegar for all of nine moons, Visenya had told her, in bouts of laughter, about her love for Oberyn. Back then Elia had, for a fanciful moment, imagined Visenya and Oberyn getting married just as her and Rhaegar had been. However she also knew that her brother would never be worthy of Visenya and so she had been quick to drop it. Oberyn was a good man but she doesn't believe he could love somebody as pure as Visenya. Visenya matches Oberyn in passion and beauty. Actually she even surpasses him in the latter department. However, Visenya is too sweet and too kind for would never be able to digest Oberyn's lifestyle and accept it like people in Dorne did. Visenya fancied herself to be in love with Oberyn but Elia knew it is just a phase and so she was certain that over time Visenya would forget all about Oberyn Martell from Dorne.

It appeared that the time has indeed come and this time when Elia sees Visenya sneak glances towards Jaime Lannister and blush at the mere mention of the latter's name, Elia knows it is love. Now if only the two fools could realise as such.

As Elia now looks at Jaime Lannister, she muses on just how much the boy had changed. She remembers the seven year old Jaime Lannister she had visited in Casterly Rock when her own mother dreamt of a marriage between herself and Jaime or between Oberyn and Cersei. She remembers a boy who was still a child - moody, whiny, self-absorbed, interested in mostly just sword fighting. Now that boy seems to have eyes for few apart from Visenya. Which is why Elia doesn't understand what the problem is with them. Anybody with eyes could see there was something there.

She certainly sees it and she is almost certain that Cersei Lannister sees it too though the latter does not really seem too happy about it. Even Ser Arthur had expressed certain _concerns_ about Visenya's well-being to Rhaegar and mentioned how Jaime Lannister seemed to hold some sort of affection for Visenya and vice-versa. Rhaegar's reaction to that news, though, was something she (and neither Ser Arthur, from the looks of it) had expected. Elia had fully been prepared for Rhaegar to clench his jaw like he did in anger and narrow his eyes at the messenger but he had nodded along and made no later mention of it what-so-ever. That was completely out of character for Rhaegar Targaryen, a man who loves his sister above and beyond anybody else.

So now here she was, three days into her stay and trying to get Visenya to meet with Jaime Lannister. Elia has seen the poor boy try and fail quite miserably at drawing Visenya's attention to himself but Elia is certain that Visenya has noticed the boy even if she gives no indication of it.

The morning meal presents a wonderful opportunity as she sits with the both of them and Cersei Lannister. How these four people had ended up sharing the meal, she isn't certain but they are all here which makes every other matter insignificant.

Elia had, at free will, even sat beside Cersei just so Visenya would have to sit beside Jaime. She is proud of this achievement and Ser Jaime appears surprised at the mere sight of Visenya sitting right beside him while the girl herself is stiff and aghast at the possibility. Elia expects a retaliation for this scheme but that is a matter of some other time.

Her main focus is the table they all are at and the tension which is heavy in the air. When nobody utters a word, she clears her throat loudly and speaks up, "So your name day is tomorrow. What do you want from me, Visenya?"

The girl she addressed looks up with murder in her eyes as she answers, "Right now, a lot of things Elia. But a word with you would be a good place to begin with." The tone is crisp and to the point.

"Sure. Let us break fast and then we can talk. But I meant like a present from me." Elia replies smoothly though internally she is preparing herself for the quick words Visenya will send her way after the meal. Her quick wit and sarcasm are something Elia loves about Visenya. She makes for a good partner to hold conversation with.

"Nothing. Your presence is enough Elia. Though I must say, your presence isn't doing me much good now, is it?" Visenya asks her with narrowed eyes but Elia is saved from answering when Ser Jaime interrupts, "Quite the contrary, I assure you, my Princess. You look positively radiant."

"I agree Visenya,", Elia chimes in, before Visenya can channel her anger on the boy, "but I do not believe it is my company which is making you glow. Perhaps it is the presence of somebody else. What do you think, Ser Jaime?"

"If I may interrupt here but me and Jaime have to meet with father." Cersei Lannister is the one to interrupt here and Elia thinks the girl is blind if she doesn't see the union that Elia is trying for here.

"Actually Cersei, father wants to meet only you, not me. I am certain he is waiting for you at the moment. You should go. Father doesn't like people delaying him." Ser Jaime answers and a smile dawns upon Elia's face though Cersei doesn't seem to hold the same feeling. Elia turns to the girl, before she can ruin this further and speaks, "Well then if you are leaving Lady Cersei then I am sure you wouldn't mind me accompanying you. I am headed the same way. Ser Jaime you wouldn't mind keeping Visenya company, would you? After all, she needs her strength if she is to greet the guests who are coming tomorrow night."

"It would be my pleasure, Princess.", Ser Jaime comments as she sees the realisation dawn upon him that Elia is supporting him. Elia receives a grateful smile in return and before any of the girls, Cersei or Visenya, can speak up Elia is rising from her chair, half dragging Cersei Lannister out of hers so they can depart.

By nightfall, she sees that Visenya seems slightly more like herself, certainly more free as the girl smiles easily. However, the smile turns upside down when she sees Elia.

"You and I need to talk Elia. Now!", the girl speaks and Elia parts from her husband and child as Visenya leads her away.

"Elia! What was that? What were you even thinking in the morning?" Straight to the point, it seems.

"Oh honestly Visenya if anything I did you a favour. Everybody can see you two playing around each other. I don't even know why you are ignoring him."

"Because he is Jaime." Yes, like Visenya thinks that will explain everything to Elia.

"You do realise you have to be more elaborate than that. He is Jaime, I am Elia, you are Visenya. What does it explain here? That's right. Nothing."

Twenty minutes later and she knows all there is to 'Visenya and Jaime' (she is thinking of a secret, short name for the duo, maybe Jenya?, but for the time this title will suffice) apart from their conversation this morning.

"And this morning? After I left. What happened then?", Elia asks and she feels like she is back in Dorne with Ashara as they talked of boys and men. Visenya reminds her of home so easily.

"He apologised, Elia. He went ahead and apologised." Visenya remarks like the action was something like an end of the world. "Which means he doesn't like me back. He apologised for whatever he did. Which means he apologised for almost kissing me. I mean, how can he ,right?"

It is a rhetoric question Elia supposes, so instead of answering she asks, "And he said those exact words? That he is sorry for almost kissing you?"

"What? No! No, he didn't say it like that. Obviously, he had more tact. But that isn't the point Elia. You know, I forgave him. Do you realise what it means? I have to pretend to be fine with everything because we are friends. What do I do now?"

Visenya has always been an over-thinker. The girl who analyses every moment of the day and every action of the individual which results in her jumping to conclusions which are in most cases wrong. Which is why Elia doesn't think Ser Jaime is actually apologetic for his actions. Perhaps, he just wanted to be in Visenya's good grace again. Though Elia will definitely not tell the girl that, she needs to figure it out for herself.

"You know I am certain he likes you back. In fact, I may also say that I think he adores you and is absolutely, completely, irrevocably smitten with you." Elia sees the uncertainty etched on Visenya's face even after the assurance and so continues, "After all, it is you. Visenya Targaryen, the most beautiful maiden in the Seven Kingdoms. You are the most wonderful girl I have ever met and believe me Jaime Lannister would be a fool to not think so."

"Are you absolutely sure?", Visenya asks, biting into her lower lip slightly.

"Definitely. So now, you forgave him. Then what? Did you talk after that?"

"No. I left then. I had to look at the jewellery for tomorrow you see." Elia thinks of it to be a really sad situation. She knows that the Targaryen family is far from being the perfect family but this was a completely different matter. Ever since Visenya had been six, she would select three pieces of jewellery a day prior to her name day so that her parents and her brother could present them the following day as gifts. It was such an impersonal process that Elia had outright denied Rhaegar when he had asked her to do the same following the marriage. She had actually made him choose a present for her on his own and then discovered that Rhaegar did not have the best choice in jewellery or a good choice at all.

"Then we have to make it worth it. Tomorrow you will be the guest of honour, the belle of the ball and Jaime Lannister will not be able to take his eyes off of you." Elia assures her and then adds, "Not that he has any trouble doing it now."

"Elia!"


	13. Chapter 13

**TYWIN LANNISTER**

Tywin Lannister is not foolish and he is certainly not blind, thank you very much. Even if he were either of those things, he is certainly not illiterate. Which is why he is here, impeccably dressed and being a part of the celebrations. He shuddered at the mere mention of them.

Now back to the point that he is a man who is clever, a fact which made him gift the Princess a beautiful red dress with gold and black borders (Targaryen and Lannister colours certainly) for her name-day and then make sure that Jaime matches her perfectly. Now the point that he isn't illiterate comes up because very recently he had received a letter from Lord Sumner Crakehall who had made a passing comment upon his son's budding 'friendship' with the Princess.

So he is here for the celebration of the twelfth name-day of the girl and he stands with his twins on either side of him. When he finally spots the Princess coming in their direction with her elder brother, he tells his son, "Ask the Princess to dance when they come." "And stop fidgeting.", he adds when he sees Jaime pull at his tunic at such a command.

"But father. Jaime was just going to dance with me right now.", he hears Cersei speak from his side.

"He can dance with you later." Crisp and short is his reply. Just because his daughter hadn't become a Queen yet doesn't mean that his son cannot marry a Targaryen. He will not be failed by all his children.

By now the Crown Prince and his sister had reached them but Tywin doesn't let them pass by as he pushes Jaime in their direction.

"My Princess, would you like to dance?" His son asks and he is disgusted by the lack of composure in his son. Jaime Lannister was supposed to be proud and brave, a true lion and yet here he fidgets and mumbles words. No, Lannisters certainly do not eat up their words.

"Oh… I was just going to dance with Rhaegar…" The Princess begins her excuse before the Crown Prince cuts her reply, "No, no Visenya. It is quite alright. Perhaps you can save me a dance for later."

A moment's hustle and then his son and the girl are walking away to dance together and Rhaegar Targaryen is heading his way. It is a perfect opportunity to rub the closeness between his son and a Targaryen in the Crown Prince's face. He scurries Cersei away at that. This is not a conversation she should be privy to.

The Prince stands beside him but says nothing as his indigo eyes do not loiter from his sister and Tywin himself observes the girl and his son. They match in dress and even wear matching smiles. They cut a picture as they dance much closer than necessary and there are a few eyes which linger on the duo for longer than necessary.

"They appear close.", the younger man remarks after some time.

"Lord Sumner wrote of certain affections your sister holds for my son." Alright, the letter was about Jaime's feelings for the girl and not the other way around but he is certainly not going to say that. Though his son isn't doing much to hide his affections as the boy cradles the girl in his arm and pulls her even closer if possible. Tywin is certain than even a breath of air would be unable to pass between them.

"Father would certainly object to the match." Yes, Aerys would definitely not like it. Which is what makes the whole thing even better. There was a time when Tywin was certain his daughter would be Queen to Rhaegar's King but then Elia Martell had been brought into the picture. Still, he thinks there is a little hope for the Martell woman is weak and frail and yet to give Rhaegar an heir. The problem is that Tywin doubts that Rhaegar would be so open to a new marriage if his current wife was to die in say, childbirth. But now, now he has an even bigger weapon. He has Visenya Targaryen, the King's only daughter, the Crown Prince's beloved sister, the one girl he is certain holds a lot of power without even realising it.

"But I suppose you wouldn't object to such a match?", the Prince asks him and Tywin nods along.

"She is a Princess. Well brought up. She will do nicely as Jaime's bride." It is the truth. She is from a good stock, well-bred and a princess too. And she is pretty enough to match his son. He could have a worse girl as the future Lady of Casterly Rock.

"My father's presence will not be too important for this." Tywin silently agrees. After all, Aerys has more or less hidden himself from the general public. He wasn't present for his son's marriage and is currently not present for his daughter's name-day. His importance is diminishing and his son's is increasing. It is Rhaegar Targaryen that all the Lords praise and it is this Rhaegar Targaryen whose love for his sister is well-known. To be bound to the Princess by marriage, he muses, would be better than to be bound to the Crown Prince. Even if the Martell girl would die and somehow Tywin could get Cersei to be wed to Rhaegar, he knows that if the Prince had to choose, he would always choose Visenya Targaryen over Cersei. Yes, the girl is certainly more precious to Rhaegar and hence all the more a dangerous tool to use. To hold Visenya would mean to hold Rhaegar.

"It is a suitable match. Has she bled yet?", he asks as he already envisions a future. Princess or not, Tywin and Jaime would need heirs and hence he would need a bride who could provide heirs.

"The marriage will not happen any time soon. Visenya is still too young." The air of finality is present in the Prince's voice and as Tywin once again regards the Princess, he dismisses the excuse. She isn't too young and if she has bled then it is certainly no issue. A year or two would be enough of a wait for the wedding. By then Jaime would be ten-and-a-six and hence a proper adult. The perfect age to marry. However, he feels like there is more to it, like the Prince knows more than any of them do. Still he doesn't reply to it or speak of it. The conversation for him has ended.

"I believe for now we keep this between just us, my Lord. There are still things that need to be sorted before we announce a betrothal."

"As you command." It is pathetic that he has to bow down to the commands of a boy half his age but he bites his tongue and nods along.

As his son and the girl he plans to make his good-daughter one day separate, Rhaegar leaves his place and moves to dance with his sister. This, he decides, is the perfect opportunity to talk to Jaime.

"Jaime. My solar. Now.", he commands and walks away, aware of the fact that his son is following him.

"Close the door behind you boy.", he speaks up once his son has entered his solar and they are finally alone.

"I received a letter from Lord Sumner. He wrote of your _liking_ towards Princess Visenya." Again his son fidgets which makes him bark out, "Stand still Jaime."

He pinches the bridge of his nose as he evaluates his son. It is his curse to bear. A daughter who isn't worthy of being a queen, a son who isn't worthy of being his heir and a dwarf who isn't even worthy of being a Lannister. Three children and so far all of them have been a disappointment. By now, Cersei should have been betrothed if not married to Rhaegar, Jaime should have been knighted (something that he actually is, thankfully) but also been well on his way to become a Lord and Tyrion, well, it is better to leave it unsaid.

"You will listen carefully now. You will keep close to the Princess and win her favour. Do you hear me? Any possible suitor of her needs to be done away with. I will not have anybody stand between you and her. And neither shall you."

He moves to pour himself a drink, he needs one after the day he has had.

"Cersei…", his son finally tell him.

"What of her?" How is Cersei involved in every single event of Jaime's life, Tywin has failed to understand yet.

"She does not seem to like the Princess much." Ah, yes. That he had noticed too. His daughter is certainly very dismissive of the Princess which is what makes her foolish. The Princess was the reason Tywin had even kept Cersei in court after Rhaegar's marriage. He had though that Cersei could have been a lady-in-waiting and earned the favour of the Princess. Yet, she had been useless and opposed the suggestion. Which reminds him that it certainly is time for even Cersei to be betrothed. Or perhaps he could wait just another year to see Elia Martell's strength before he decides on a betrothal.

"I will talk to her. But let me be very clear Jaime. Cersei may not have become a Targaryen but I will certainly makes Princess Visenya a Lannister. The Lady of Casterly Rock to be exact. And for that I need you to do everything right. Do what is necessary.

"You may leave."

He is turned away from his son but he hears the boy's footsteps receding and then the door of his solar opening.

"Father?" He turns around at his son's call.

"Are you certain I am free to court her? With no objection from anybody?" His son's face expresses the clear uneasiness that he feels and he knows who the boy is talking about. Aerys.

"Prince Rhaegar offered me the match. If he agrees then the Kingsguard agrees. There is certainly nobody else who you need to be worried about."

He receives a nod in reply before his son finally leaves the room.

It is easier said than done, he knows. He needs to take care of much before Visenya Targaryen could even be a Lannister. For one, Visenya Targaryen is a pretty girl and her beauty is well known across the Kingdoms which means offers from suitors wouldn't be too far. Two, she is a Targaryen and the title of the Princess is a heavy one and every Lord and knight in the Seven Kingdoms would desire her for marriage. Three, she is the girl who truly holds her brother in her small and dainty hands. Rhaegar Targaryen may be loyal and quite fond of his wife but his priority has always been his sister. And lastly and perhaps the most important, Aerys Targaryen would never let his daughter wed a Lannister. He can only imagine Aerys's reaction to the news that his son had offered his daughter to Tywin on a silver platter. Aerys would scream murder and betrayal which is why he believes that Rhaegar had not wanted to tell anybody of it. Yet, Tywin will soon let the Lords know that Visenya Targaryen was a future Lannister and every one of them would do well to remember it.

For now, he needed to be prepared to tell Lord Tully that the betrothal between Jaime and Lysa Tully was not going to happen. The day after Jaime's arrival to King's Landing upon obtaining his knighthood, Tywin had written to Hoster Tully inviting the man to talk of dower for the marriage between Jaime and Lysa. While the Lord hadn't been able to come right away, Hoster had vowed to come by the moon's turn. Which meant that the man was well on his way and would be arriving within three days.


	14. Chapter 14

**JAIME**

 **A/N : A massive thank you to all the people who are reading and liking the story!**

He spent most of the last night thinking again and again and once again whether this was even close to a good idea. He had oscillated between the yes and no answer before finally deciding to throw caution to the wind and do it.

Which is why he is here, outside the chambers of Princess Visenya Targaryen, first thing in the morning. After his stay at King's Landing for so long he is certain that the Princess is yet to even wake up and that is why it is the perfect opportunity to ask her to break fast with him. She cannot make any excuses about having already broken fast before (an excuse she has made twice in the past when she was ignoring him). His father had encouraged him for this, told him, in very clear terms, that Visenya Targaryen would be his bride and though Jaime isn't all too big on marriages, he thinks for this girl he can make an exception. Also, it wasn't like the wedding would happen this very instant. They were both young, the princess especially, and so Jaime decides that the wedding is at the least three to four years away. Long enough for Jaime to come to terms with the idea.

For now, he is simply going to court her. Simple enough certainly. Take her riding, have a few meals with her, a few dances, do things that he doesn't mind doing with her. Though certainly there are a few other things he wants…

"Ser Jaime you may come in." Finally, one of the Princess's maids allows him to enter. He had been waiting outside the chambers for far too long by now. Seriously, he had sent the maid in like centuries ago to wake the Princess and tell her to get dressed for her visitor.

Princess Visenya Targaryen looks far from perfect in the morning. In fact, she looks like a mess, from behind atleast.

"Is everything well?", he asks the Princess as she remains seated on her bed, her back towards him. She doesn't hear him the first time nor the second. So he finally moves to kneel in front of her and sees her face for the first time. She looks like she is about to throw up.

"Princess.", he calls out again as he tries to get her attention and finally succeeds.

"Ser Jaime? What are you doing here?" He had told the maid to let her know that he was waiting outside. Hadn't she been made aware?

"I… I was waiting outside. Never mind that, what is wrong?", he asks with worry. She is genuinely pale but now she looks white as a sheet. He had only seen this kind of look on her once before. Back when they had been children and she had come to Casterly Rock. It was the morning he had escorted her to her chambers while the Kingsguard was looking for her. When she had asked whether her father had been made aware of her absence.

She rubbed her eyes with her hands before running her hand through her hair. A deep sigh. "Nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing to me. Talk to me please." This is certainly not turning out to be the way he had hoped it would. He would have come, she would smile, they would break fast, go riding. Definitely not this.

"It was just a bad dream really." She was upset over a dream? Really?

"Well then we should go out then. I was thinking riding. Put it out of your mind.", he offers. He has had dreams too and riding or fighting always put it out of his mind.

"I'm sorry I just… I don't feel like it. You should go, Jaime. I need to get ready. Mother is waiting for me, I am certain."

And just like that, he is quite unceremoniously sent out of the chambers. His day takes a turn for the worse when he is left alone with Cersei. He had gone out of his way to avoid her these past few days. She had been pestering him, suggesting him that it was time to go back to Casterly Rock, she had even made the offer in front of their father.

"You do know why you are being kept here, right? And I assure you it has nothing to do with the royal family." She is taunting him. Lying to him, for certain. He has to clench his hands to stop himself from sending her out of his chambers.

"You cannot just ignore me like that Jaime. And you certainly cannot lock yourself away now that your future good-father will be arriving soon. Though we might be visiting him too."

He finally looks up at her, glaring daggers at her and answers crisply, "Nobody is visiting anybody."

"Is that why Lord Tully is arriving on the morrow? You know father wants to have you married to Lysa Tully. Or are you forgetting the time when you were made to visit Riverrun?"

"Stop lying. Go play with somebody else." She is lying. He knows that. His father had said otherwise. And yet there is that smile on her face which suggests that she is winning.

"You know I am right." There is that sing-song voice again. "You are foolish if you believe that there will ever be anything between you and that… that hideous princess."

"You will do well to keep away from her sister. Do anything and I will make sure father knows of it." He has never threatened Cersei before though he isn't sorry for it. He doesn't need to take a vow in the Kingsguard to protect the Princess. He knows he will do it no matter what.

"You are being foolish Jaime. Do not think I don't know of what happened this morning. She kicked you out Jaime. Don't you see it? She does not like you or desire you, Jaime. But I do. You are mine and I am yours, Jaime. Two halves of a whole.

"Look at me, Jaime. I saw father's letter. They were talking of the dower. And you will know it too when Lord Tully arrives on the morrow. Father lied to the both of us. He was never going to marry us to Targaryens. And we never will. We belong to each other Jaime. Can't you see it?"

"Cersei I…" "You know it Jaime. Me and you. Just us. Always us. I love you Jaime and you love me." It is easy to forget about everybody when Cersei stands in front of him, cradling his face. It is like being back at Casterly Rock. Back when they were children and he did not know of another girl. When the only lips he ever even wanted to kiss had been Cersei's. When another girl hadn't even invaded his thoughts.

Simpler times is the only reason that he leans forward and kisses her. It is the vision of silver hair and indigo eyes which breaks them apart. He wants that. He wants indigo eyes to stare back at him. The girl who laughs too easily and talks too loud sometimes. He wants to run his hands through the silver hair that he is almost mesmerised with. He wants to hold the thin fingers that he has held before.

"Jaime…?" That voice is neither his nor Cersei's.

He doesn't need to turn, to look at the person to know who it is. He knows that voice better than he knows his own.

"Oh… Princess Visenya… I… oh… Please Princess… It's not like that. Jaime loves me… Please." Cersei begins and Jaime knows she is just acting. He fears that Princess Visenya ,unfortunately, doesn't.

"I… Forgive me… I should go." In a flurry of blue and purple, the Princess is out of the room and he turns towards the culprit of it all.

"Oh no Jaime… No no no.", Cersei begins as she drops the whole act, "I did not call for her. _You_ did. She received a note signed by Jaime Lannister not me. This is your fault. It turns out you wanted to talk about the morning and tell her something important. Now she knows what it is you wanted her to know."

He moves his hands this time and the hands which not a moment ago were cradling Cersei's face are now wrapped around her neck and he thinks that if he had a little more courage, he would have put more force, wrapped them around just a little tighter. "I will **never** forgive you for this. Do you hear me? Never."

He lets her go then, letting Cersei grasp for air but he doesn't bother with her shouts for him, telling him how he will regret it. He has more pressing matters to attend, such as finding the Princess and clearing it all out with her.

He tries to approach her in her chambers but he is left standing outside. Strict orders from the Princess. Keep Jaime Lannister out. It is at times like these that he hates the fact that she is a Princess - that she can say one word and the whole kingdom would do it.

By daybreak he gets the news that the Princess is leaving for Dragonstone and he doesn't even get up to stop her, to tell her anything at all. He doesn't have it in him to do so. His father comes knocking at his door, asking him why the Princess was leaving and he blames it all on Cersei even though he himself could have stopped and thought before kissing her. Within moments Jaime is ordered to depart for Casterly Rock and he doesn't fight again. He doesn't say no to his father's orders, doesn't do anything but pack to leave.

However, before he is to leave, he is visited by the person he expects the least.

"Your Grace.", he addresses trying to keep in check his nervousness at being visited by the Queen.

The Queen looks so faded, like a ghost of herself and Jaime pities her. She rarely makes an appearance but every time Jaime sees her, he swears that she just looks thinner and thinner.

"Thank you for coming, Ser Jaime. Come sit for a moment." His Queen offers and Jaime enters the chambers, looking around. He has never been in the Queen's chambers before.

He declines her offer of a drink quickly and fidgets a little under the Queen's scrutiny.

"I can see why my daughter would like you." He jerks at her words. Not what he had expected though it makes him slightly giddy (just slightly, cause he is a knight), he feels more dreadful at the fact that he lost his chance and so he voices his opinion, "I don't think she does anymore."

"Ah yes. I assumed you had something to do with her crying her eyes out to me."

"Don't worry boy," the Queen adds, perhaps sensing his unease, "I am not going to scold you or anything. It is a matter between you children. However, I just wanted to say it is for the best. She is growing up fast. She will have many suitors and it is best if you stay away from her."

"You can leave now. Certainly your men are waiting to depart."

 **A/N : Just to clarify and remind everyone, we are in 281 AD which is the year of the Tourney at Harrenhal. So we will be reaching it soon.**


	15. Chapter 15

**VISENYA**

 _It is the laughter she hears first. The laugh of many a men and women and the sound of merrymaking. Slowly her sight comes and she is standing in a huge hall as all around her lords and ladies drink and eat and dance and laugh. She spots her brother and his wife in the crowd, dancing together, and even Ser Jaime and Prince Oberyn along with her father and his Kingsguard. She sees them all and hears the crude jokes before the vision dissolves…_

 _It is of Rhaegar this time as he appears dressed to joust. On either sides of him are hordes of people, an audience to see him joust. Though he seems to have won as a crown of blue roses is being handed to him and he ties it to the tip of his lance, no doubt, to present it to his Queen of Love and Beauty…_

 _This time it is only her father's scream that she hears as the vision changes and she is standing in the throne room._

 _"Traitor! Traitor! All of you.", her father screams aloud and it is startling to hear a female scream herself hoarse saying "No." before she realises that the voice is her own._

"Visenya?"

As she opens her eyes, Elia's face swims into her vision. "Nightmare again?", the older woman asks again and Visenya nods in reply.

The same nightmare again and again ever since her twelfth name-day. It had come to her every night and the last vision was what she had feared. The last time she had seen a vision of her father, the Defiance had happened. She doesn't want a repeat of that.

"Please, Visenya, I still ask of you to visit the Maester. I am certain he can give you something for the sleep." Ah, yes. Elia had been begging Visenya to go to a maester and get something for a dreamless sleep and Visenya had been against it and still is.

"Like your brother, in this regard, aren't you? He talks in his sleep of dragons and doesn't remember it in the morning. Even when I tell him that he speaks in the night, he denies it. He says he doesn't dream. Huh."

"I didn't know my brother did that." Rhaegar had never mentioned anything of the likes. Had he seen visions too? If she were to go to him and tell him, what would he do?

"Your Graces?", a voice from outside her chambers calls out and Visenya moves to address the maidservant. They are at Harrenhal for a big tourney being held by Lord Whent. Royalty or not, they were guests and neither of the Princesses wanted to upset their host the way the King would, no doubt, do during his stay. It is certainly surprising that her father had even shown an interest in attending the event. Her father had been hiding more and more, staying cooped within his castle, stepping out only in the presence of all his Kingsguard. Even now, all six of his Kingsguard were present, still short of one since the unfortunate death of one of their brothers.

She had been at the grounds and only excused herself to visit Ser Barristan to whom she had promised her favour before the tourney. What she hadn't expected was to be kidnapped as somebody grips her around her waist and quickly covers her mouth before she can scream. She kicks and fumbles to free herself as her captor pulls her into a tent before whispering, "It's just me."

The voice stills her movement altogether. That is the voice she hadn't expected or even planned on hearing for long.

"Let go off me.", she commands, as he moves his hand from her mouth, even though her voice comes out shaky and her body is slumped against the knight.

"I need to talk to you.", he speaks and he is still too close to her as his breath ghosts upon her cheek.

"My Kingsguard will come looking for me soon." They wouldn't certainly. They were all preparing for the first day of the tourney and wouldn't come looking. But this knight did not need to know that.

"Soon is long enough for me to talk." He still hasn't let go off her waist and she feels slightly offended with her own self that she doesn't really desire to move away from him. This is the closest they have been since her last name-day.

"I have nothing to say to you, Ser.", she replies curtly and his fingers dig into her wrist as he finally turns her to face him. He is still as handsome, she thinks, as she takes in his shining gold hair and cat-green eyes. He is still the same, her handsome knight, even though he certainly never was hers.

"But I have a lot to explain to you.", Jaime answers and his grip on her wrists loosen as his hands trail down before resting on her waist. He gives her a slight pull then and she braces herself against him. She has no desire to stay so close to the boy after all that she has witnessed and all the letters of his she hadn't replied to.

"You owe me no explanation." At the back of her mind, she knows what he wants to explain and she doesn't want to hear it. They are nothing and so he owes her nothing.

"Visenya… Please." Her name is what weakens her resolve. He has never called her by her name. He had been always been proper when it came to addressing her.

She releases a sigh as her hands involuntarily grip his tunic, "You do not need to explain anything to me. You love her and that is wonderful." When she had first witnessed it, she had been horrified. She had never been prepared for it and her stomach had turned and turned until she had thrown out her food. Then she had gotten away and she didn't know why she felt so sick anymore. She was a Targaryen. Nobody knew incest better than Targaryens. Her own parents had been siblings. She was a child of incest like Rhaegar and Viserys. Who was she to judge if a brother loved his sister in such a way?

"No… No…", he spoke that word frantically, repeating it again and again, "No… no… You have it all wrong, do you hear me? I don't love her, alright? I don't."

"You do not need to lie to me Jaime, please." By now there are tears at the corners of her eyes and she blinks rapidly because she is not going to cry over some boy. She is stronger than that, better than that. Also because she has shed enough tears on him already.

"No. I am not lying." There is a tremor in his voice and she thinks, just maybe, just maybe it is desperation that is seeping into his words. "Just let me speak and listen to me carefully. I love you. I have tried to hide from it, run away from it and you but I couldn't. Everywhere I went your little laugh followed me. Every corner I looked at, I would see you, still as beautiful as ever. Your voice has been ingrained into my very being and it hasn't stopped speaking. So there, I love you. What you saw was a misunderstanding, all of it. Cersei did that, not me. Because I love you. So just tell me you love me too and we will work it all out and move on."

"I don't love you." Lies. The words are nothing more than a lie and he calls her out on it.

"You are lying."

"I am not."

"You are lying, Visenya, and I know it. I know you well enough to know you are lying. So why are you doing this?"

"I love another." Another lie slips out of her tongue because she remembers what happened the first time she gave her heart to the boy in front of her. He kissed another. Not just anybody else but Cersei Lannister. At this point, Visenya would have even preferred had Jaime kissed a harlot.

"Oh really? Who is it then? Go on. Tell me." It is a taunt. He is taunting her because he doesn't believe a single word from her mouth.

"Prince Oberyn.", she answers remembering the man who has come to Harrenhal with them and who she had passed by before being captured by Jaime.

"Prince Oberyn has eccentric tastes when it comes to _certain_ activities. And he is far too old for you. Not to forget, a father too. How many daughters does he have again? I certainly have lost count. He isn't right for you. You don't belong with him."

"And you don't belong with anybody. You are nothing more than a boy who runs to his sister, seeking comfort in her arms."

It happens all too fast as his lips descend on hers. His grip is harsh as his nails dig into her sides leaving behind bruises for sure but his kiss is just the opposite. Soft, coaxing, gentle. It is an innocent kiss, no tongue, no improper touches and she takes him in as that.

It is eons later or maybe just a moment later, that he lets her go and she takes a step back. It is wrong on so many levels. She is a maiden who should not have done that. Her virtue, her touches, her kisses should all be reserved for her future betrothed.

"Are you still certain you don't love me, Princess?", he asks as a grin forms on his face and that look on his face makes her want to slap him. Which is what she does. She slaps him. Hard and quick, with as much strength as her little self can muster.

"How dare you? Do you know who I am? And who you are? What were you thinking? My life is ruined. If people ever know that I kissed another but my betrothed, I will be ruined."

"Sorry, your betrothed?", he asks surprised, as his hand still rubs his cheek that she had slapped.

"Well a future betrothed but still. It is my duty to marry who my father deems worthy of course." Had her slap affected his brain too? Her mother had told her that she should be a proper lady now. Twelve was an age when a potential husband would be looked into. She had to marry who her parents chose. She had a duty towards her family.

"Then it is a good thing that your betrothed is standing right in front of you, ain't it Princess?"

"What are you on about? Are you ill?" There is no other explanation for the words that tumble out of his mouth.

"You are looking at your future husband, my dear Princess. Your brother offered you as a bride to my father." He answers, the grin still on his face and she mentally calculates how fast she needs to move to slap him before he intercedes her actions. Not fast enough, she muses, not fast enough to get away with it again.

"You are lying. This never happened." Rhaegar certainly made no mention of it.

"I wouldn't lie to you. Your name-day. That's when it happened. If you do not believe me then go on, ask your brother. I will wait. Go on, ask now and then come running back here princess when you realise that I was right and you called me a liar for no reason."

She needs to find Rhaegar soon. This cannot be. Her brother wouldn't make such a decision without telling her, would he? But Rhaegar had been hiding a lot already, as she had discovered earlier today.


	16. Chapter 16

**JAIME**

She was slippery, Jaime discovered, when for the whole day she kept disappearing the moment he came anywhere near close to her. He thought of going to Princess Elia, she would certainly help him but even her eyes would narrow at his approaching self. That was enough for him to keep away from the entire royal family.

But the sun began to set and as eve came, the feast began and Jaime knew she could no longer ignore him. As a Princess, she would have to make an appearance at the event where many Lords and Ladies had come. A feast before the Tourney which would begin come morning.

Though it had been the Princess he awaited, the first one to draw the entire hall's attention was the King. Paler and weaker than the last time Jaime had seen him. His silver-gold hair had lost the little shine they held and were best described as a tangled mess. His beard was unkempt and matted and it was hard to look at him now and believe that he had sired Targaryen children whose beauty was so praised. A silence had descended across the hall as the King had appeared, followed quietly by his heir whose hand firmly clasped his wife and lastly his only daughter whose beauty was hard to be ignored. Yet, the King outshone them all and certainly not in a good way.

After a few moments the feast began again and despite people pretending that nothing had changed, the whispers still hung in the air. Whispers about the King and his appearance. Jaime tried to ignore it but it was certainly hard. His father and the King were about the same age and yet the King looked far too old. The man was skittish too, his eyes darting around again and again and more than once they had settled on Jaime. It had been uncomfortable certainly to be scrutinised by the King but he put up with it. He was his father's son, he could not cower in fear.

The feast picked up again as the King went as quickly as he had come. Paranoia, some whispered and Jaime knew it was best not to listen to them. His father had told Jaime to be mindful and wise while coming to Harrenhal, to not listen to whispers and maintain decorum. He was the sole Lion here and he had to play the part.

His eyes once again searched his little Princess and it was almost laughable to see the girl dance with her good-sister. They were a beautiful contrast as Visenya's silver hair spun like threads around Princess Elia's raven hair. Visenya's laugh loud and free while Princess Elia's was more refrained, a calm and small laugh. Jaime knows that Cersei would have never suited in that role. Princess Elia held herself like a future Queen with a humility that his sister does not possess.

Night proceeds and as he sees Visenya Targaryen swirling under the arm of Jon Connington, he contemplates that for certain the girl has had far too much to drink. She turns again and this time her eyes land upon him and Jaime raises the glass in his hand in her honour. She laughs before turning away and Jaime decides one more drink and he will escort the girl back to her chambers for there are men in these halls who will soon go looking for a drunken paramour. It takes two dances with Prince Oberyn for the Princess to reach for a cup of wine and Jaime finally approaches her.

"My Princess." He addresses and bows to kiss her hand. He is being watched, he is certain. The Crown Prince is not too far away and Princess Elia is sitting less than three seats away, laughing with a girl Jaime knows is Ser Arthur's sister. Three of the Kingsguards also hover around and even though they are possibly drunk, Jaime knows better than to do something to make them draw their swords.

"What is it Ser Jaime?" Princess Visenya asks and giggles for no reason. Proof enough for him to get her back to her chambers and also the proof that she is certainly not the person to talk to. So he approaches Princess Elia to ask permission to escort the Targaryen Princess to her chambers. Princess Elia needs little coaxing before she relents though Jaime can read it in her eyes that she will tear him apart limb from limb should he do something to her beloved good sister.

So he returns back and supports the girl out of the hall. Most people are too drunk this far into the night to notice them and so he can easily move around as the shadows cast upon them. The halls are deserted and only sound which carries is the rowdy laugh of drunken men from the feast hall.

"Where are we going?", she asks, her voice far too loud in the silent halls.

"Keep your voice down will you? We are going to your chambers of course."

"Haaaww…", an affronted gasp before she moves to step away from his grip, "How dare you, Ser, assume to take advantage of me? I am chaste girl whose virtue will remain, thank you very much." She doesn't blush even once as she suggests such a thing and Jaime believes it is the wine's fault. The girl he knows would have turned red at the mere mention of the word virtue.

She loses her balance as expected and Jaime reaches to catch her but is far too late. And so Princess Visenya Targaryen sits on the floor, a mess of blue and black as her dress fans out around her, her silver hair starting to come undo and her indigo eyes too wide. She is a vision, he muses, a beautiful vision and he knows that he is far too lucky to be in her presence.

She laughs at her own self and her laugh is loud enough to alert one of the passing servants. "Keep moving.", Jaime commands to that wench before moving to silence the Princess. "Please. Please stop being so loud." Caring for her will give him a headache soon enough.

"Please get up now. You have to get back to your chambers, my love. So come now, come along.", he speaks as he grasps her arms to lift her off the ground and helps her along.

"I can walk.", she whines and if she were sober, Jaime would retort that she certainly seemed to be doing a wonderful job at the moment. She is drunk, however, and so Jaime lets it slide, his hand still wrapped around the Princess as he almost drags her to her chambers.

"Right then. Go in, find your bed and go to sleep." He explains to her as if she is a child, once they reach her chambers.

She is a tiny little thing, his Princess, barely reaching his shoulders at the tender age of ten-and-a-two as she cranes her neck to look at him. She lifts her hand, peeking up at him from beneath her eyelashes, as she traces his jaw and Jaime thinks that in this moment, he is as drunk as her.

"Visenya.", he whispers her name as if in prayer and her hand stills at the edge of his jaw. She leans towards him then and raises herself on her toes as she plants her lips on his. He should push her off. It would be the right thing to do. She is drunk and perhaps so he is. But she is lovely and he is young and in love and so he draws her into him. He pulls her closer and almost lifts her off the ground and his thoughts are a jumbled mess, the only real thing being the feel of her lips.

They break up after a moment and she steps away from him, her eyes flashing with regret. He shouldn't be surprised. The girl was a model of virtue, her chastity the most important to her and her scolding from the morning rings in his ears. "Sleep well." That is all he says before he leaves her for the night, hoping that come morning she will forget of this moment.

She has forgotten or not forgotten is the least of his worries when he receives a messenger from the King. The King had called for him at once and Jaime had rushed through for the man. It would never be good to upset the King.

He almost wishes he hadn't stepped into the chambers when he sees Visenya on the floor in tears before the King. There are other people in the room, he can see them in his periphery vision but it is Visenya who draws his attention.

"You boy. I should have your head.", the King calls and Jaime looks up to see the man. "How dare you? Tell me, how dare you? You Lannister! I should never have trusted you Lannisters!"

Jaime looks around the room and sees the six Kingsguards that stand behind the King along with Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia.

"Father please. It was my fault, all my fault.", he hears Visenya beg and Jaime is completely lost in the midst of it all until the King himself comes up to Jaime, his pale fingers wrapping around Jaime's neck. "How dare you touch a Targaryen, you unworthy fool?"

"No.." "Father please." "Stop…" "Let go." There are shouts from the people in the room and yet Jaime's eyes are fixed upon Visenya. She does not dare to stop the King and Jaime doesn't care about the King in the moment. It is Visenya, who is still crying upon the floor, a distinct blueish-black bruise forming upon her wrist.

The King is back in his chair before Visenya by now as Prince Rhaegar speaks to his father in whispers.

"Don't you teach me, boy!", the King's booming voice remarks and Jaime moves towards Visenya. It is Ser Arthur who stops him by holding him back. "Don't be a fool, boy. Stand still and stop staring at her right now. You are only getting your poor self in more trouble along with her.", the older man whispers and Jaime turns away from Visenya.

"Bring me that boy's head, Ser Arthur. We shall gift it to Tywin Lannister and show him what a fool he is.", the King commands.

"Mercy!"

"Mercy, Your Grace.", the princess begins, "I ask for a father's mercy from you. Please. Let him live. That is all I ask. Let him live. Send him to Casterly Rock this instant and I swear to never see him again if you grant me the mercy. Please… Please, father."

He moves to interrupt then. They cannot do that. She was to be his. Ser Arthur stops him again and Jaime tries to free himself but Ser Arthur's grip is too strong.

"Father… If I may." Prince Rhaegar begins and the King's eyes again go to his son. It is in that moment that Visenya looks at him, pleading silently and Jaime stops fidgeting. The mercy the King will grant wouldn't only be for him but it would be for her too.

Prince Rhaegar ends whatever it was that he was saying and the King speaks again, looking at Jaime, "I beg forgiveness, Your Grace. But it was my fault entirely. Princess Visenya is not to be blamed in any way." He isn't completely sure what he is even seeking forgiveness for but he thinks it is the whispers of yesterday which had reached the King.

The King laughs, a harsh, cruel laugh, before answering, "It is certainly you. You Lannisters are trying to taint our pure blood. Your sister first and now you. Tywin Lannister will hear of this. I will see to it. Casterly Rock, do you understand? You go to Casterly Rock and never return. Never!"

The King still grumbles and shouts as Jaime is dragged outside by Ser Arthur. "Pack your belongings, boy. You are leaving. Be glad Prince Rhaegar saved you."

Be glad? Save? Nobody had done anything. They had all stood there and let it happen.

"Princess Visenya?", he asks and if he weren't a Lannister, he would be clutching the Knight's feet, begging to let him see his Princess one last time.

"Listen here. Do not be a fool. You will make it worse for her if you think of even visiting her. The Princess will be safe. That is what we are here for. And she will be safe if you do as the King has said and leave. The Lannister name can only give you so much respite."

By noon, he is already riding away with no Princess to bid him goodbye and he considers himself a failure for he should have been back at Harrenhal, protecting the girl he loves.


	17. Chapter 17

**RHAELLA**

Queen Rhaella is beautiful, Queen Rhaella is mindful of her duty, Queen Rhaella gave the King heirs… That is all people know of her and while in her youth she had wanted to make her mark upon the world, now it was an altogether different story. It was easier to just be remembered in these terms. Now her only desire is that she be lost in the sea of people so that none can see her. Her only wish is that Viserys grows up and has much better luck than either of his siblings.

For the past two days, Rhaella had reflected upon all the letters that had come from Harrenhal. The Tourney at Harrenhal had come to quite a grand end two days back and Rhaella decides that it was at Harrenhal that the happiness of her elder two children had ended.

Her firstborn, her dear Rhaegar had been born in tragedy and he had rarely laughed, if ever. But Rhaella had seen Rhaegar's smile upon his wedding as he had led Elia into a dance, she had seen the joy on his face as he had held his daughter Rhaenys. Rhaella had thought that Rhaegar had got his happiness in Elia. But how wrong she had been. She cannot even begin to imagine what Elia must have felt when Rhaegar laid the crown in another girl's lap - a Stark from Winterfell, the letter said. She could not even imagine what Rhaegar was thinking when he crowned a girl who was certainly not his wife and more importantly, was another lord's betrothed.

She had thought that Rhaegar knew better, that Rhaegar would never be unkind to his wife. Elia and him, they had been happy in appearance. Had it all been a lie? For a moment, Rhaella tries to remember if she had ever seen a bruise marring Elia's skin and then instantly decides against it. Her son could never do that, not her dear Rhaegar.

And her daughter, her only daughter had for certain lost the boy she loved. Rhaella knows well enough how that feels. Which is why, she had told the Lannister boy to keep away in the first place. She did not want her daughter to feel the way she had felt when she had been ten-and-a-two herself. Worse still was the fact that the boy and Visenya had kissed, a matter which had reached Aerys's ears. Though the letter had simply stated that Jaime Lannister had been sent back to Casterly Rock and Visenya was well, Rhaella knew that her daughter would carry scars, both physical and emotional.

She had prayed to the Mother the night she had received a letter about the Lannister boy, she had prayed for her daughter's safety, for Aerys to be kind to his daughter. Then a few days later she had received the news of Rhaegar crowning another and she had again prayed to the Mother for the safety of her son. Aerys's fear had grown and he saw a threat in everything and everyone, including his two children. At Harrenhal it seemed they had reaffirmed their father's belief. The daughter with a Lannister and a son with a Stark, Rhaella needs no help to know what Aerys would see - treason.

Even though Rhaella's biggest mistake would be her marriage, a thing she had had no say in as she had only seen twelve name-days by then, her next biggest mistake had been her support for Rhaegar. Visenya had been a child of merely six when her husband had suggested that Visenya be married to Rhaegar. Rhaegar had fought against the decision that day and the day after. He had fought his father for long on the matter causing the first cracks to appear in the father-son relation. Rhaella had supported Rhaegar then, in a time when Rhaella still had a little power in her hands. She had supported Rhaegar's decision then for she had not desired her daughter to suffer a fate like hers. That had been Rhaella's mistake.

Rhaegar had never been horrible to Visenya. All the years that Rhaella had seen her eldest two children grow up, she had only seen love. They hadn't been like Aerys and she had been in their youth. Rhaegar and Visenya had loved one another like a brother and sister and protected one another.

Perhaps, if she hadn't supported Rhaegar then, things would have been far too different and right now she would be attending a wedding between her own son and daughter. Maybe then Visenya would have never fallen for a Lannister and Rhaegar would have never crowned a Stark. They could have wed and possibly have a better life than Rhaella's own. They would have had children, heirs to the Crown and Aerys would never have doubted them. A foolish big what if that was best left untouched.

When the whole retinue did return from Harrenhal, they had a new addition Ser Eustace Hunter, a sworn brother of the Kingsguard. However, Rhaella's attention was on the two females in the retinue, her daughter and good-daughter. To the untrained eye, they both looked the same, like Harrenhal had never put a stain upon their lives but Rhaella knew better. Rhaella had suffered through pain and heartbreak. She could make out the empty eyes of both the girls while once they glistened with mirth. They clung to one another and Rhaella guessed they had been this way the whole journey. They had lost so much - love, pride, hope. Cursed, that was the only word. The Targaryen women, all three of them, they had been cursed to bear the name.

She had gone to Visenya first that night, to talk to her daughter and been welcomed by Elia who was already present in the chambers. Yes, Elia and Visenya had certainly been close since the day Rhaegar had cloaked the former and Rhaella had been reminded of her own youth. Of another Princess of Dorne who had been a lady-in-waiting to Rhaella, who herself had been a Princess in those days.

Elia had silently moved away to allow Rhaella to enter and she had to almost laugh at the picture the lot of them presented. Three Targaryen Princesses - one by birth, one by marriage and one by both. Three Targaryen Princesses who had lost too much, too young in life. What a sight they must be for Rhaegar and Aerys, who would laugh at their misery.

"Mother! Why… I mean… do you need something?", her only daughter questioned and Rhaella just wanted to shield both the girls and hide them from one and all. How broken, how lost, her poor children for she had never looked at Elia as anything else.

"I came to ask you both how you are doing? A lot has happened recently, my child." Rhaella answered as she accepted a goblet of wine from Elia.

"That is one way to present it, Mother dear.", Elia spoke from her place on the bed, "I am a woman who carries a child for her husband and yet he crowned another."

"Child?" Rhaella and Visenya spoke up at the same time.

Rhaella watched as Elia's shoulders drooped and her eyes closed before answering, "Yes. A child. I got to know at Harrenhal. I was going to tell Rhaegar after the joust but… well… things happened, you could say."

"Why didn't you tell me?", her daughter questioned and Rhaella felt she shouldn't be here. From their appearances and behaviour, it seemed that it was to be a conversation between two friends and Rhaella was not the friend here, she was the mother figure.

Elia's only reply had been a shrug of her shoulders and that seemed to be an answer that placated Visenya for now and so even Rhaella let it drop.

"And you, my child?" Her daughter had been a concern for her. Visenya was the same age as Rhaella when she had been married. Her daughter was not a child anymore and she had felt love only for it be snatched away.

"I am well mother.", came a detached answer and Rhaella was disappointed. It appeared her daughter's spirit had been broken and so she turned to Elia, silently asking the younger girl for help.

"I could get a letter sent to Casterly Rock if you want, darling." Elia spoke and though Rhaella was confused as to how the girl would get it done, she didn't voice the thought. If anybody could do something like this, it would be the daughter of the Princess of Dorne. Her mother had been the same after all.

"And be burnt? How long before father would discover it, you think? And how much longer would he wait before declaring you and Jaime traitors and burning you to the ground? He would make us watch too." Contempt. Anger. Scorn. Hatred. All these emotions radiated from her daughter and Rhaella knew the girl had grown up enough.

Before they could continue, a scream came from somewhere in the castle. Another man was being burnt, that was certainly what was happening. It had started less than three moons ago, Aerys's new found love to burn men and women, children and babes alike. The screams would echo in the Throne Room and more often than not they carried into Maegor's Holdfast. Her daughters, however, do not even flinch at the sound and so Rhaella knows just how common an occurrence it has become. The smell of burnt men doesn't bother them any longer and the girls before her have learnt to pretend that they hear no screams. Yet come morrow, Rhaella would find both of them in the Sept, praying to the Stranger for the dead man's soul. How quickly the Stranger had become a known and often sought after figure in the Red Keep.

"I must leave. I should look upon Viserys.", she speaks before getting up to depart. It wasn't Viserys who would need her now. It would be her King who would come looking for her to prey upon. Her children do not need to hear or know of it even though the looks both girls give her is proof enough that they are not two innocent girls who know not what the King is capable of.

They look at her in part fear and part pity and Rhaella decides to turn away from them. She cannot be looked upon as weak by her own children. She was the Queen who would do her duty and be brave. She doesn't need pity from her own children when the rest of the Seven Kingdoms already give her enough pity.

"Mother…", Elia calls out and Rhaenys turns to her good daughter. Tears were forming in the former's eyes and Rhaella moved to wrap the girl in her arms. How easily she had made promises with Elia's mother once that their families would be joined in marriage and they had joyfully been bound when Rhaegar wed Elia. Yet what a cruel fate Rhaella had cursed upon the child who was the ever glowing sun of Dorne.

They had been joined by Visenya too and Rhaella clung to her girls for this was just the beginning. Things hadn't been improving. First Aerys and his fire, then Jaime and his love and then Rhaegar and his crown. Things were deteriorating day by day and Rhaella did not even know what hope to cling to anymore.

"Be brave, my darlings. Be brave, do you hear me? You need to be strong. You need to show the world what women can do, what Targaryen Princesses can do. Tears are for the weak and you two are anything but weak."

"You Elia, your mother would never have you so broken. She would want you to be strong. You are a Dornish woman, my girl, you should never hide away or know fear. Dorne doesn't breed weak souls, isn't that what your mother used to say?" How often had Rhaella heard Elia's mother say those words when she had been a child with Rhaella. Elia needed to reminded that she was still the daughter of that unflinching woman. Elia needed to know that she had not been the first wife to be shamed and she certainly wouldn't be the last. She needed to deal with the shame with courage and dignity, to show the world that it hadn't been a mistake when the King chose Elia as Rhaegar's bride.

"And you Visenya. Have I not taught you better, my child? You are the blood of the dragon and dragons do not shed tears. You were born as the Princess of the Seven Kingdoms, you need to prove to the world that they could not have asked for a better or more worthy Princess. You need to prove your worth to your father." Visenya would have to remind Aerys that she was his blood and that the betrayal he sought from his daughter, would never only come.

 **A/N : Okay, so to some of you it may seem as a filler chapter and it is supposed to be a partial filler but at the same time a very important chapter. I still want to keep the mystery around the Harrenhal incident so I gave the perspective of somebody who only read of what happened there but was never a witness to it. But then, I also needed Rhaella here because I think out of everybody else in Westeros, it would be Rhaella (a woman who has herself been through hell) who could approach the girls about the whole thing. And she is the one who is encouraging the girls here because in my story both Elia and Visenya will play major roles so they need that little push in the right direction and they get it from Rhaella - a woman they have seen being treated like shit and yet being so composed and ever mindful. But feel free to think otherwise and review. I would, as usual, love to hear all of yours views.**


	18. Chapter 18

**NARRATIVE**

 **A/N :** This chapter is not a single POV because I'm going to be covering a whole year here. It is clear that nothing big happens in the year between the Tourney and Harrenhal and Lyanna Stark's "abduction". There are exactly two important moment's - Aegon's birth and Tywin's resignation. I'll keep those two moments but on a whole we will kinda rush through this whole year with small multiple POVs. There are 12 POVs exactly, basically one for each month of the year.

 **ROBERT BARATHEON**

Ours is the fury and his fury is much when Rhaegar Targaryen crowns Lyanna. However, within a moon of the tourney everybody has already left and the Prince and Lyanna have been nothing but stories as Robert travels to Vale to his foster father. Lyanna is still his betrothed and Rhaegar is still married to the Martell Princess. Ned is still the same boy and Jon Arryn is still the same father figure and so Robert rests easy. Yet, inside he broods over such an insult.

 **RHAEGAR TARGARYEN**

When his wife tells him that she has been with child for over a moon, the first thing Rhaegar does is sprint her away to Dragonstone. She is still a little cold to him though her eyes burn with fury and Rhaegar tries to attempt to talk to her but her Dornish retinue sticks close to her and so Rhaegar turns mute. The only thing he is capable of, he does it - keep his wife and child away from his father for now.

 **RHAELLA TARGARYEN**

As her son leaves with Elia and Rhaenys, she tells him to take care of them even though a part of her wants to beg him to stay for her real fear dwells within the Red Keep and also because she doesn't want Elia to be alone on Dragonstone. Rhaegar's departure is followed by Tywin Lannister's resignation, a letter which comes from Casterly Rock claiming Tywin is ill and Rhaella agrees with the people when they say that Lord Tywin is smart. If he had given the resignation on the face then Aerys would have burnt him. So for now, Aerys settles for just bad-mouthing Tywin, something he has been doing for years now. Nothing has changed really. Things are just getting worse like they always had been.

 **VISENYA TARGARYEN**

When Tywin Lannister's letter comes, Visenya loses her last hope. Elia's departure had been upsetting and the departure of Lord Lannister who lived in King's Landing with Cersei is the last thread of hope that is pulled. There are no Lannisters now in King's Landing, none that Jaime could have visited, none who can assure her that Jaime still loves her and he will come for her. No, none of them. Now it is her father and his fire that rules the Kingdoms and Visenya has learnt to keep to her chambers, only leaving to pray for Jaime and Elia's well-being. It is in one such fleeting moment, when she is returning to her chambers, when the King passes her. She greets him and he bows down to her level and whispers, "You were innocent once, my child." It is the only humanity she has seen in him and so she cries. But before her first tear can even fall to the ground, her King is walking away and Visenya doesn't know if it was a figment of imagination or not.

 **OWEN MERRYWEATHER**

He is the new Hand of the King and he certainly has big shoes to fill. Tywin Lannister's departure is seen as a slight by many though surprising is the King's reaction. The King seems to care but at the same time not care for the resignation. There are days when the King will say Tywin Lannister is being a traitor and on other days he will say that Tywin Lannister is a weak man who had done a terrible job so far. Owen knows the best thing to do is agree with the King, no matter his opinion. Agreement is what keeps people alive.

 **CERSEI LANNISTER**

When her father takes her away from court, she is simply happy. Prince Rhaegar had already taken his wife away from the Red Keep and the younger Prince is somebody Cersei has no desire to impress simply because the boy just keeps close to the Queen. He is a mother's boy and Cersei often wants to slap him and tell him to grow up. She is happy to leave that foolish Targaryen Princess behind as she heads to Jaime. She is also happy that the union between her brother and the girl is not happening. If she isn't marrying a Targaryen then neither is Jaime. They are both yet to be betrothed and they shall be together in Casterly Rock, no Targaryen shadows looming over them.

 **JAIME LANNISTER**

Six moons had passed since the Tourney and he has learnt to lock himself away in his chambers. Even his father has stopped reminding him to do his duty and Jaime lives like a ghost of himself. There is hatred on his part towards Aerys Targaryen, the man who separated him from Visenya; towards his own father, the man who should have been in King's Landing taking care of Visenya; his sister, who thinks that they can still make it work. There is hatred towards Visenya Targaryen too or there should be but he couldn't hate her even if he tried to. His worry increases as rumours finally fly of the King's growing love for fire and the only thing keeping him at Casterly Rock is Visenya's love. He wants her safe is why he doesn't contact her. Her life is of utmost importance to him.

 **ASHARA DAYNE**

She isn't too loving towards Dragonstone but it is Elia's home and so Ashara bears with it just like she bears Prince Rhaegar for he is her Princess's husband. The relationship between them is better now as Prince Rhaegar vows for the umpteenth time that the Stark girl deserved the laurel for a reason only Elia and him know. Elia is eight moons pregnant and Prince Rhaegar brings things for Elia and Elia seems alright if a little weak and so Ashara stays. She stays because her duty is towards the Princess of Dorne first. It helps that her brother is also around. However, as the eighth moon of the pregnancy sets, a shaken and almost broken Princess Visenya comes and suddenly Elia stops caring for herself and more for her goodsister. Ashara herself keeps close to the Targaryen Princess even if the young girl makes no mention of the cruelties she has undoubtedly witnessed.

 **ELIA MARTELL**

She hasn't completed nine moons fully when her babe comes and Elia's bed turns red. She senses Ashara and Visenya moving as they tell her to push and there are moments when she almost gives up and thinks that the Stranger should take her now. But then she remembers little Rhaenys's laughter and Ashara's teasing and Visenya's love and so she pushes her husband's heir into the world.

When she wakes up a week later later, she is left alone with her son and husband.

" Aegon. What better name for a king?", her husband answers as she admires her little son.

"Will you make a song for him?", she asks him remembering the first song Rhaegar had made for Elia and then for Rhaenys.

"He has a song. He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire. There must be one more. The dragon has three heads."

Those last words haunt her sleep from then on even though she doesn't know why.

 **CATELYN TULLY**

She is to be wed in under three moons and preparations are in full swing. She stands still as the handmaidens measure her for an ivory wedding dress, she helps in stitching her own maiden cloak - a silver trout leaping on a blue and red striped field, she plays the role of both the bride and the Lady of Riverrun perfectly. She is happy for Brandon Stark is a charming young man who will be heir to Winterfell. However, there is fear too. Fear of the North and its men. Fear of the Gods they worship and the rituals they perform. Yet, she will face them with courage for it is her duty towards her family and "Family, Duty, Honour" are the words of House Tully.

 **HOSTER TULLY**

He thinks his family is cursed when all betrothals fall through. His own brother, Brynden Tully, had been the first to reject a betrothal. Then Tywin Lannister had broken his dreams of making Lysa a Lannister. He thinks it is God's justice when he remembers about Jaime Lannister and the Tourney at Harrenhal. Certainly, the crowning of another, instead of his wife, by the Crown Prince was a much talked about event. However, it wasn't easy to forget what the other Targaryen child had done. Jaime Lannister was being called a vile man who had tried to prey upon the innocent little Targaryen Princess. That is why Hoster does not create much ruckus when Tywin breaks up talks of betrothal between their children. That and Lysa's own mistake. His ward Petyr Baelish had soiled Lysa now. A betrothal for her would certainly be hard to find. However, he still has a little boy who is just a name-day younger to the Targaryen Princess and no matter what people say about the King, no ill word has ever been spoken about his daughter. Also, it would be a good insult to Tywin Lannister should Visenya Targaryen become Lady Tully instead of Lady Lannister in the future.

 **BRANDON STARK**

He is certainly not too fond of the word marriage but his father is still his Lord and so he nods along and accepts it. It is comforting to find that Catelyn Tully is easy on the eyes and infatuated with him. So he rides to Riverrun to take a Southern bride. Yet, an occasion which was supposed to be joyous is ruined when claims come that Rhaegar Targaryen had come with his band of knights and captured his only sister Lyanna. He detests the fact that he hadn't killed the foolish Prince at the Tourney when he had the chance. He rides forth then, quick as a flash, he rides with the closest of his companions, to King's Landing to demand his sister back along with Rhaegar Targaryen's head.


	19. Chapter 19

**VISENYA**

It couldn't be true. Just two moons back she had been on Dragonstone with Rhaegar. He couldn't have done it. Certainly it was a lie Varys had spoken when he had told her father that reports suggest Rhaegar was with the Stark girl. Kidnap, some said while others said run away. Surely, these were lies. The worst part was that nobody knew for sure and uncertainty tainted the halls of the Red Keep. Nobody in the Red Keep itself would speak anything about the whole thing in fear of their King and so nobody could confirm what Visenya had heard.

Which is why she had gone to her mother. She smiled as she passed Ser Barristan to enter the chambers but even the smile was too strained. The Red Keep had certainly forgotten what joy looked like.

"Mother?", she called out into the seemingly empty room, and her little brother came running from the solar.

"Visenya!", he exclaimed and Visenya felt horrible for him. With all that had been going on, she hadn't even given Viserys much attention. He was her little brother, he was supposed to be the shining star who she would tell stories. Now Visenya can't even remember the last time she had tucked the boy in bed.

"Where's mother?", she asked as he took her hand and began heading to the solar.

"She is in there. She doesn't look too happy, I don't know why. Do you know why? I'm sure father would know. He knows everything. Do you when Rhaegar will be back? Rhaenys told me she would be back soon to play though I don't like her much…" She had stopped listening to Viserys the moment Rhaegar had been mentioned.

"Viserys…", her mother's calm voice called out, "leave Visenya alone for now. And go with Ser Barristan, will you? I need to speak with Visenya for a moment, my boy."

Viserys stopped smiling at that and his head turned to the floor. He looked utterly dejected and he was just a little boy. He shouldn't have to feel that way. But how could she help him when she felt so helpless herself?

As Viserys left the room, Visenya made her way to her mother, who was seated on her high chair. She knelt before her, placing her head in her mother's lap as she had done when she was younger. It had been years, however, since her mother and her had sat like this. It had been at a time when Viserys wasn't born and Rhaegar wasn't married. When they were innocent children.

"Is it true?", she asks her mother as the latter runs her fingers through Visenya's hair. She doesn't need to tell her mother what she is talking about. The Queen would already know.

"I fear it is.", her mother answers with a trembling voice, no doubt, holding her tears at bay. Visenya wants to cry too, wants to hide away from everything and be shielded by her mother. She wants to scream that she is just a little child but she has seen thirteen name-days and at this age her mother had already birthed Rhaegar, so no, she is not a child even if she wants to be.

"What will happen now?", she questions, wondering which new man would burn for this act now.

"I do not know. Has Rhaegar sent you any word?", her mother asks and she can hear the accusation in her voice. _You and Rhaegar have always been close. You are his confidant. He must have told you something, anything._

However, those are lies. She and Rhaegar had been close. She used to be his confidant but she hasn't been for a good few years now. She doesn't know who Rhaegar is anymore or why he does the things he does. "No.", she answers simply, providing no elaboration.

"And Elia?", he mother asks again and Visenya's heart breaks for a woman, a new mother who is still too weak to travel.

"No word from her either.", she answers, recalling that the last letter had come two weeks ago.

"I fear the Gods can't even help us anymore.", her mother speaks, still running her fingers through Visenya's hair and Visenya wants to scream out that there are no Gods if we have to suffer through such times. There are no Gods in this world for they couldn't be so cruel to them.

Things deteriorate further when Brandon Stark comes riding to King's Landing. It had been a pleasant morning so far, pleasant by the current standards and Visenya had been in her chambers in the high tower when she had heard the shout of the Northern man.

"RHAEGAR TARGARYEN!", the voice had boomed and Visenya had quickly looked outside the window to see a small party of Northern men, among whom she only recognised Brandon Stark and Elbert Arryn, the current heir to the Vale.

Some guards moved about then and Brandon Stark was being taken inside with the rest of his company. It wasn't hard to guess that he had come looking for his sister. It would not turn out well Visenya knew and so she rushed to find her mother and Viserys. Viserys needed to be kept away from it.

However, before she could find anybody Ser Jonothor Darry came looking for her, telling her that her presence was needed in the Throne Room. It had to be her father's command certainly. The King had found it necessary that every family member be present in the Throne Room when a King's audience was called. He said it was to teach them, teach them what exactly he never said. Viserys was the only one who was allowed to be excluded from it for her father wanted him safe, like any man or woman would ever attack the boy in the Throne Room. Her mother would often feign illness and it depended on her father's mood if her mother would actually get away with lying or she would attend the event still.

"Come out and die, Rhaegar. Come out and face me.", the loud taunts of Brandon Stark reach her before she can even make it to the Throne Room.

She curses Rhaegar's name then and curses the Stark girl too. She curses their foolishness, which would soon become a song, and the doom which such an act had brought.

Her father's voice is just as loud and even more crazy when he demands Brandon Stark's death. She sees the madness her father is slowly being consumed by and so does the rest of the court. Brandon Stark was a fool to come bearing threats for the Crown Prince, a fool who had come to a mad King demanding the death or a Targaryen.

She quietly moves to join her father, standing by his side like a good and loyal daughter. Yet, it all feels like pretence for she doesn't agree with half the things her father is doing.

"Restrain them and bring me his head. We can burn the spare men.", her father commands and she immediately turns her head away. She is yet to see a beheading or a burning - these two events she had been kept away from so far.

"Your Grace, if I may…", Varys begins and Visenya wants to curse the Spider too, "it would be wiser to keep them alive for now. Imprison them, My King, and have their families pledge fealty to you. Let their fathers come and bend their knee before you, the one true King."

That man reeks of trouble and problems, Visenya knows. She isn't even aware of how exactly Varys had come to court or how he has become somebody her father trusts above all. However, it has happened and for now wherever her father is, Varys is present too, whispering in his ears.

Many say Lord Varys is a eunuch and Visenya personally doesn't know or care for it. What she cares for is the secrets the bald man seems to hide and the charms which somehow won him a doubtful King's favour and trust.

"You heard him. Imprison them. And send the ravens to their fathers. They will come to me and bend their knee or I will send them their children's ashes.", her father finally decides and Visenya looks around for her mother. Turns out her father was in a good mood for her mother is absent from court.

Visenya walks away then as the voices of the Northern men drown out. It is mercy for them - an imprisonment - and the King's isn't known to be merciful. It wouldn't end like this and she doubts that Lord Stark would even swear fealty when his only daughter has been taken away by the King's son.

Heeding her father's words Rickard Stark does show up in the Red Keep in a little under a moon's time. She doesn't go to court the day Rickard Stark and his band of Lords come. She stays in her room waiting for any news, watching the skies for any raven from Dragonstone, where Elia resides without her husband or from wherever Rhaegar hid. He taken two Knights of the Kingsguard too - Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Oswell Whent - and yet her father himself hadn't bothered to call for Rhaegar. The North demanded Rhaegar's presence but not her father, which is odd. She decides it is because he is too busy with the Starks for now.

She visits her mother in the night just to ask what her mother knows. The King is yet to show up in her mother's chambers and Viserys is till playing as two of the Kingsguard stand outside the doors.

"He has demanded a trial by combat.", her mother speaks softly, drawing Visenya out of her thoughts. Viserys is seated a little away, studying a book about Targaryen history again. He is far too engrossed in his book and so Visenya decides to continue the conversation.

"Which of them? The father or the son?"

"Lord Stark.", her mother answers, not once looking up from her stitching. Visenya is herself not too fond of or capable at stitching. She had been no older than six when her father had it laughed away, telling her Septa that stitching was for common ladies and Visenya was a Targaryen Princess. She hadn't understood the arrogance of her father then, only concerning herself with the matter that she wouldn't have to learn stitching.

"To first blood?", she asks, referring to the trial. Lord Stark was not a powerful man like Tywin Lannister but he was still a Lord Paramount. His death would not be taken kindly.

" _Yes_ _like your father could ever allow that._ " No, no he wouldn't. It would be to death one way or another. Somebody would die upon the fateful day.

"When is it?", Visenya asks and her mother's reply chills her, "Tomorrow."

She had already excused herself today. No way would her father let her be absent from court two days in a row. Black, tomorrow would be the day of black, the colour of mourning. Either she would lose a beloved Kingsguard or Lord Stark would die.

The King comes in then and Visenya quickly stands up to bow before him.

"Where were you today girl?", her father asks with reference to her absence from court.

"I felt ill, father. Forgive me."

"Ill? Weak. You have given me a weak little daughter, Rhaella. A foolish son, a weak daughter and Viserys. Useless, every single one of you."

Before her father can continue, her mother tells her to leave with Viserys and Visenya follows the orders, letting a Kingsguard take Viserys to his chambers. It is a coward's way that she had chosen, letting her mother deal with the King alone. She feels like a coward.

When the moment come Visenya does appear before the court, looking regal in black. She would not flinch, she had promised herself. Today she would not flinch. Today she would not be weak. Today she would not be useless.

"Bring his son too.", her father commands a guard. "Let the boy watch his father die today before he meets the same fate."

When Brandon Stark is brought into the Throne Room, he is brought in chained, a noose tied around his neck. It is a noose Visenya has never seen before.

"You will fight for yourself Stark, you have stated. Now let me present you my champion. Rossart bring me the fire."

She watches as Rossart and another man bring two flasks of green liquid and Ser Eustace Hunter and Ser Gerold Hightower move to stand close to the King for his protection.

"No! Father please no!" She doesn't realise she has spoken up until those words have left her mouth.

Her father pays her no heed, his eyes fixed upon Brandon and Rickard Stark as one of the guards places a sword near the former. His eyes are lighted just as the fire starts to consume Rickard Stark and Visenya screams again , "Please. NO. Do not do this. STOP IT.", she screams again and again till her voice is no longer heard over the screams of the Starks.

"Silence her!", her father commands and Ser Eustace moves towards her landing a heavy blow against her cheek.

She falls then, her vision turning black as the screams grow fainter.


	20. Chapter 20

**TYWIN**

It was foolish for people to believe that just because he had left King's Landing, it meant he did not know of what was going on in that place. He was aware of everything and everyone, thank you very much. Though he had to admit that the kidnapping of a useless Northern girl was something he had not foreseen. Yet, it had happened. His spies confirmed as such.

Rhaegar Targaryen had abducted a Stark girl. That matter could have been better solved had it not been for Aerys's madness in capturing Brandon Stark. That had been the last he had heard until today when his guard let him know that a rider had arrived from King's Landing. He had taken the second/third sons and daughter of lesser known houses in the Westerlands and sent them to work in King's Landing or live there as his spies. It could only be another one of his people.

"Send them in.", Tywin ordered as he closed the ledger he had been writing in. However, the rider was also followed by his own twins.

"What are you two doing here?", he asks them, raising an eyebrow at their audacity.

"King's Landing. You have had riders from King's Landing for months now.", his son answers and Tywin has to take a deep breath to control his anger.

"How do you know of it?" He had been certain, made it very certain that Jaime would never know of it. He had had enough of his son's foolishness. The boy had become a fool before all as the singers wrote songs about him and the Targaryen girl - of the lion who forced himself onto a dragon. It was only in the kindest of songs that Jaime was presented as a love sick fool. "The lion took the dragon to bed", a singer had sung before Tywin had had the boy imprisoned for his foolish song. Making a mockery of the Lannisters was a thing of the past. He would not have his son make his father's mistakes.

Jaime looked to Cersei and her eyes widen in turn before she spoke, "Do not put the blame on me. It was you who came running to father about it like a little boy." He had certainly given his daughter a free reign if she had gone ahead and found out about Tywin's work. The girl needed to be taken care of too. Viserys Targaryen had been looking like a weaker prospective day by day and so now Tywin did not have many Lords that he could wed Cersei to.

"Enough. You two will get out of this room and stay out of my work. Have I made myself clear?" He will not have his children be fools putting on a show for strangers.

"I want to speak with you.", Jaime retorts. "Alone.", he emphasises, his glare turning to Cersei. The only problem Tywin has is that it is this duo that he has yet to figure out. Jaime loved Tyrion, dwarf that he was. Jaime loved Visenya, he had made it clear. However, Jaime and Cersei were unknown territory to Tywin and he does not like that.

"We will speak later. I'm busy as you can see.", he tells the boy, dismissing his children with a wave of his hand.

"I will wait outside then", Jaime replies before turning and leaving without second thought. It appeared even his son had been mishandled. How had either of his children thought they could come and demand things of Tywin?

He turns to his rider once even Cersei leaves his study. "Well?", he asks impatiently. People, it seemed, were willing to push him to the edge today.

"Lords Rickard and Brandon Stark of Winterfell have been killed, My Lord. The King's order.", the boy replies. He is barely twenty, the boy, and small in build. It would probably be easy for the boy to travel around the Red Keep easily.

"Anything else?", he asks again when he sees the boy still standing before him, fear evident in his eyes.

"The King has demanded the heads of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell and Lord Robert Baratheon of Storm's End." Interesting. Very interesting.

"And?"

"I left before any reply came, My Lord. But… well… I do not know for sure, My Lord, however one of the Small Council member said the word 'rebellion'."

"Right… right… And Princess Visenya?", he asks as an after thought.

"She seemed upset by the death. You see, she witnessed it, My Lord, but…"

"She is unharmed then?", he asks, interrupting the boy. He doesn't care if she is upset or happy. He just needs her unharmed. She is a powerful little girl still and shouldn't be that hard to manipulate when the time comes. She has certainly proved herself to be more useful than any of his children so far.

"Yes, My Lord."

"Good. You may leave."

It would be foolish to believe that the young Lords would serve their heads on a platter for Aerys. The boy had said rebellion. However, the main question was rebellion against who exactly - Rhaegar or Aerys? And a rebellion led by who? But before he can contemplate the questions properly, his son barges in, no knock or anything. He would need a fresh lesson in manners it seemed.

"Why didn't you tell me about the riders?", the boys asks in anger.

"It is not your business who visits me and when. You live under my roof boy, you will learn your place as will your sister.", he answers calmly. His son's anger is a dangerous thing only when he carries a sword. The boy is unarmed and hence, not harmful at the moment.

"Is Visenya okay?" He rubs his head at that. The headache is starting to increase. If Tywin hadn't been married to Joanna once, he would have seriously questioned his son's foolish love for a girl. His son seemed too dedicated to just one girl.

"She is as she should be. And where she should be.", he tells his son, as he opens the ledger he had been working on before his visitors. It is a dismissal his son doesn't accept.

"You promised me she would be my bride.", the boy speaks out, his hand inching towards his waist where his sword usually dangled.

"I had certainly made no such promises." He still does not look at his son but he does close the ledger. Hw couldn't get any work done right now. "However she would still have been your betrothed had you not been a foolish boy.", he retorts. He had said that he would take the girl as his son's bride but he hadn't promised anything to anyone.

"I did nothing wrong.", his son defends himself and if Tywin could laugh, this would be the moment for it.

" _Yes. Certainly. Late night strolls in Harrenhal with her is not a wrong thing, I suppose._ "

"I was escorting her to her chambers. That is all."

Tywin takes a deep breath, trying to mentally calculate how many years off his life were being taken by his son's antics. Too many for sure. "When will you get it through your head that there is a vast difference between a highborn lady and a Princess? Do you not understand that she is the King's sole daughter? A _King's_ child." A mad and dangerous King's child that too, but he doesn't speak that out loud.

His son turns his eyes away from him at that, more focused on the patterns on the windows. Tywin should have said something to his son in that moment but he doesn't. No words come to his mouth apart from duty. "You will go out and do your duty to this family."

His son's cold stare turns to him before he walks away quietly. His son would run off to the tiltyard or his own chambers for certain. Jaime had forgotten the word duty a long time ago.

In less than a week he receives a raven stating Jon Arryn had called his banners against the King leading the kingdom of Vale into a civil war. He is yet to receive any letter from the King so Tywin doesn't concern himself with those people. The war was in Vale and the rest of the Kingdoms were yet to join against the King. Though he knew it was only a matter of time. After what had happened to Rickard Stark and his son, the North would certainly follow the call to war soon enough. And from what Tywin Lannister knew about Robert Baratheon, he knew the boy would go to war soon. The young man was rash and headstrong, a man who enjoyed fighting as much as he enjoyed his drink.

It would be war soon enough if three Kingdoms took up the cause but it was hard to predict any victor. If Tywin had still been Aerys's hand, he would have said they would win easily. If Aerys even had his son Rhaegar on his side, Tywin would give the King some hope. However, the Crown Prince was hiding somewhere like a little boy, away and perhaps unaware of everything that was going on. It would be best for now to sit back and await the opportunity to strike for Tywin would never join a losing cause.

"They say it is war.", Jaime remarks one day to Tywin over supper. He doesn't even take supper outside his rooms much and it is only because Jaime has finally come out of his wretched chambers that Tywin allows him to join. Tyrion and Cersei however are still barred from joining.

"So I have heard." He has stopped hiding things about the war from his children simply because they are too nosy. It is easier to let them hear whatever they hear and draw their own conclusions. Also, should Tywin have to go to war himself, he plans on taking Jaime with him. The boy had turned sixteen already. He was a man know and a man led battles rather than hiding in his castle.

"Will we fight the rebels soon?", his son asks. They both know the true question, would they join the Targaryen cause?

"We shall see." He is still brooding over the King's treatment of his heir.

They are interrupted by a messenger who gives him a piece of paper. " _Owen Merryweather has been removed as Hand of the King and the Rebel Army is heading south towards Riverrun._ "

The note is definitely King's Landing, from one of his own no doubt, and Tywin is surprised that the rebels had even managed to assemble so far. Last he had heard, both the Stormlands and the Vale had been in a civil war when not all the Lords had called their banners in Robert Baratheon's name.

"What is it?"

"War. That is all. Come morrow, you will join me in the solar after breaking your fast, do you understand? You will need to learn to lead people from now on." Tywin lets his son know. Tywin himself has no plans to join any side yet but his son is not as smart unfortunately. Jaime would jump at the chance of being the shining knight for the Targaryen name as long as he loved the Princess. So Tywin would certainly have to start teaching his son.

However, the thing he had not expected was his guard telling him that one of the riders from King's Landing was a Knight of the Kingsguard and the other was Princess Visenya Targaryen, six days after the arrival of the note.

 **A/N : Please understand that for obvious reasons Tywin gets every news and information much later compared to the news reaching King's Landing. Firstly, because Aerys has Varys on his side - a man who knows things before they even happen sometimes and secondly, because a lot of news that Tywin gets comes from King's Landing itself. So right now you might think that Visenya arrived too early but she didn't. She left the moment the news reached her, long before it reached Tywin Lannister. Like the rebel forces travelling to Riverrun happened some** ** _x_** **number of days before the news reached King's Landing and so even longer to reach Casterly Rock. And the note has been given by one of his spies, a lone rider who would travel comparatively faster to a Princess and her Kingsguard. So a gap of six days I think is enough to differentiate between a single traveller and two travellers. But feel free to ask about it if you guys are still confused.**


	21. Chapter 21

**ELIA**

When news comes to her that her husband has captured the Stark girl, she is still in recovery after Aegon's birth. Her son is only three moons old by now but Rhaenys is not too little anymore and her daughter knows when her father is not around. Ashara certainly doesn't take the news kindly, spitting Rhaegar's name with a fury, but the moment Ashara calls Rhaegar a thief who stole the girl in the dead of the night, Elia silences her. Rhaegar may have been a lot of things but she knows that man would never capture someone. The Stark girl must have gone willingly.

She is certainly brooding on the inside and Oberyn's letters assuring her he will bring Rhaegar's head for her should she so desire, only make her more angry. Truly, if there was somebody who would kill Rhaegar, it would be Elia herself.

However, there was a small part of her that had known Rhaegar would do something reckless. It was after the Harrenhal tourney, when Elia had told him she was with child again, that Rhaegar had told her something she doesn't think many people know. His belief in his prophecies, the heads of the dragon and how he had been certain that he and Elia would have one more child after Aegon for Rhaegar and Elia were destined to bring the saviours of the world. She had listened to her husband patiently, helping him when he couldn't find meaning in his prophecy but Elia had never truly believed them. She had accepted his words to be stories and thought that she should let him have that dedication. It was like an obsession with a book or person, a thing Elia had herself harboured in her childhood, when she would read and re-read every story about Nymeria that she could lay her hands upon.

Yet this had been a big slap to her face and worse was when the servants at Dragonstone themselves whispered that Elia hadn't pleased her husband enough. And to think, she was the princess of the wretched place. However, she had turned from porcelain to ivory at her husband's shameful activities and when she hears news of Brandon Stark being taken prisoner, she realises that she needs to be made of steel to survive every horror coming their way.

She commands the place, rules Dragonstone in her husband's stead and as the wind blows, carrying whispers of the death of two Starks, she prepares for the worst. People had certainly seen her kindness but they forgot that she was the sister of the Red Viper and only the Martell siblings knew that it was Oberyn who had learnt from Elia how to be such a dangerous man. She takes half the credit for Oberyn's reputation as the Red Viper. So no, she will not hide away in her chambers just because her husband has done such a deed. So no, she was not going to be some wife thrown aside for a girl child. She would stand tall and brave the storm and should her husband think of casting her down, she would remind him that the Martells were unconquered for a reason and their house words were not only a challenge to their lovers but also a promise to their enemies.

Honestly, she had expected them sooner when the Targaryen soldiers finally show up to take her to the Red Keep. She had guessed they would come, expected such a move from Aerys. She understands politics better than her husband does, better than people believe she does for she has learnt to rule at her mother's knee and the Ruling Princess of Dorne had been as fierce a ruler as she had been a loving mother. She knows it is a power play, understands that Aerys fears her and her children just because they are bound to Rhaegar but Ashara doesn't and so the girl is ready to fight every soldier out of her way. In that moment, Elia realises that she has been left with three children for Ashara is as reckless as her brother, a brother Ashara hates at the given moment and Elia isn't too fond of either.

Elia meekly obeys them and agrees to the King's orders as she makes her way to King's Landing. Certainly, her children would be much safer at Dragonstone, away from the King, close to the sea they could take to reach Dorne but Elia has others to worry about. The budding Visenya - a sister who suffers for Rhaegar's sin, the Queen - a woman left to a madman's mercy, little Viserys - who possibly doesn't even remember Elia anymore but who is still a brother to her. She had taken them as family the day she had wed and Rhaegar may have abandoned them but Elia wouldn't. She had loved them all as fiercely as she had loved her husband and brothers, the former of which has certainly done enough damage for the coming years.

She arrives to the news of Lord Arryn's revolt - a civil war broken into Vale as the Lords decide which side to join. She visits Visenya first and no words are spoken as the two cling to one another. They had loved Rhaegar equally even if it were in different ways, however sometimes Elia thinks the love between the two girls was stronger. Simply because they had both grown up as the middle child, the only sister of two brothers, born with a crown upon their head and the title of a Princess attached to their name. They had understood each other in a way no one else had. So when she discovers that Visenya had witnessed the burning of Lord Stark, she turns pale and holds Visenya a little tighter, promising her that Elia would protect her. It was Rhaegar's job but who knew where the fool was hiding. It was Queen Rhaella's job but she had been a Queen first and a mother later so it is Elia who decides to shield her good-sister.

Slowly, one kingdom becomes three as the North rises to the Rebel cause and Robert Baratheon calls his own banners. People burn more and more under the King's command now for the crimes that the rebel Lords commit far away from King's Landing. When a battle at Summerhall is fought and won by Lord Robert Baratheon, the war is titled the War of the Usurper by the royalists even if the King's banners are yet to join the war. It is an internal war as the Kingdoms of Vale and Stormlands decide who to pledge their allegiance to. Yet, they title it gloriously for one Lord who searches for his beloved, vowing to burn the Seven Kingdoms down for it should it come to that.

Secretly, Elia laughs mirthlessly and perhaps cruelly as people say Lyanna Stark must have been a true beauty to start the war. The war hadn't been started by the girl however. She was barely a lady reaching her sixteenth name-day. No, she was child who wouldn't be capable of much. The war had been actually started by her foolish husband and the King had only added fuel to the fire by ending the lives of Lord Rickard Stark and his first-born. The war had been started by the Targaryens and she can only hope they will put an end to it.

She sits by the window as the ravens fly to the Lords in the Reach with the King's order to suppress the Rebellion. The Reach is the one apart from the Westerlands which has a sizeable army and so they are the ones called. King Aerys is still too proud and doesn't let the name Tywin Lannister slip from his tongue or anyone else's.

A long time passes, and with each day passing day so does the King's madness, before they receive the news of a victory at Ashford. The first time the royals had actually engaged with the rebels. The victory is seen as a good omen by Queen Rhaella however Elia knows better and personally, she thinks the Queen does too and the 'good omen' speech is a mere pretence. Lord Tyrell claims to have begun a siege at Storm's End and yet Robert Baratheon moves on join the armies from the North and the Vale.`

Elia and Visenya stand side-by-side, mentally broken and bruised by the King and his atrocities, as the Hand of the King Owen Merryweather pleads innocent.

"You traitor!", the King declares, "You conspire with those fools, those traitors who come for my crown."

"No… no… Your Grace. Never." Elia tunes the man out for she is certain his pleas fall upon deaf ears. Once the King had called the Hand traitor, the man was a traitor for ever, no matter the facts which state otherwise.

Visenya's grip on her hand is strong and Elia prays that the King doesn't burn the Lord before him. Truly, Elia would drag Visenya away from such a scene even if it meant her own death. However, she is saved when Varys and Pycelle urge the King to strip him of his titles and exile the man for they "have more pressing matters to concern themselves with". They say more pressing matters like it was a plan for another celebration. War. They did not have the courage to say that it was war that was coming for all of them. A war which would end in more bloodshed than any could imagine. A war which put every Targaryen at risk, including her goodsister and her own children.

It is in this stolen moment of an actively waging war that Visenya approaches Elia. "My brother's a fool."

Elia simply laughs at that statement. "Ashara take Rhaenys with you, please.", she tells her friend as her son sleeps nearby. It is by Visenya's stance that Elia knows there is much to talk of and even thoughVisenya and Ashara get along famously, they do not have the strong conspiracy bond that Elia shares individually with both girls.

Visenya moves to stand beside Aegon's cot, running a hand over his silver hair and Elia hauntingly thinks of Rhaegar doing the same. It was ridiculous that up until this moment Elia had never truly seen Rhaegar in Visenya or Visenya in Rhaegar. Yet as Visenya continues her actions, Elia finds that same curve of the lips that Rhaegar had. The eyes that match Rhaegar's speck for speck, silver hair that frame her delicately beautiful face just the same and the typical Targaryen colouring. A little taller and with a better muscle build, Visenya could pass off for Rhaegar in the correct light. Which is why Elia joins her, taking Aegon out of his cot. It is a moment of passing horror where Elia vows to make Rhaegar pay for endangering their children but Visenya still feels the stings as she takes a step back.

"Forgive me.", both the princesses speak at the same time and Elia realises that both of them have taken Rhaegar as a common enemy. They were fighting on the same side even if their common enemy is also the enemy of the rebels. Oh, how the King found enemies in all his servants, never realising he had sired one and wed his son to another.

She laid Aegon down again, this time leaving him alone and Visenya saw it as truce.

"Do you even know where he is?", she asks her and Elia just shakes her head. Her foolish husband had left her to fend for herself and their children while he was shacked up who knows where.

"I would have honestly even accepted a personal whore by now.", she answers truthfully. Truly, if Rhaegar had just taken an unimportant tavern girl as well, Elia would have welcomed it.

"He isn't coming. I kept hoping these past months that he would come but he didn't. He hasn't still. He won't come.", Visenya tells her and Elia understands that Rhaegar has hurt not only his wife but also his sister, a girl who had taken him as not only a brother but a father and friend too.

"When I think of him, I see a picture of him somewhere far away, perhaps across the Narrow Sea, the Stark girl cradled to his side as they both laugh over everybody else's misery." She should probably not have had the big glass of Arbor wine.

"I will never forgive him. Or her for that matter.", Visenya tells her and adds in defence, "My brother would never take a girl by force."

Elia knows that too but she doesn't reassure Visenya. She is past the point of worrying about Rhaegar and his actions, or so she tells herself.

"Mother says we shouldn't go to Dragonstone.", Visenya speaks again as Elia focuses on the ordinary table. Honestly, there is nothing to see here but it looks more interesting than Rhaegar's sister at the moment. Elia truly feels wretched for finding a similarity when Visenya was nothing like Rhaegar.

"You mean we aren't _allowed_ to.", Elia corrects her. They do not have a proper choice anymore, not when reports reach that the Rebels are reaching Riverlands.

"We can't stay like this. I saw the maps in Jon's chambers. We will lose if we do not have a greater force." Sneaky Visenya who waded into the new Hand's chambers.

"I know. Yet, the King will never go begging to Lord Tywin." The King had insulted Tywin's golden twins at separate occasions after all.

"I know. Which is why I will." Those were not the words she had expected from Visenya's mouth.

"Sit down Visenya!", Elia commanded, instantly becoming a mother hen. "You are foolish to even speak like this."

"Am I though?", Visenya challenges back.

"Yes! Yes! Do not be so foolish. What are you going to do? Demand that Tywin Lannister bring his army? Oh I can see how brilliantly that conversation will go." She is already dealing with her own two children and Ashara when she occasionally behaves like a child - a fourth foolish kid, she will simply not entertain.

"We cannot even leave the Red Keep without the King's orders.", Elia adds, reminding the girl of the King's new demand from her.

"Well, firstly, my father demanded that of you, not me - atleast not yet. Secondly, I know that Tywin Lannister will not give me much. Which is why I am here." That Elia doesn't fear the glint in Visenya's eye is the sole reason she trusts the younger girl. It is a Targaryen glint all the way but it is neither outright dangerous like the King's nor unnerving like Rhaegar's.

"What are you thinking?" She slightly fears this answer now. Tywin Lannister wasn't a man to be crossed so easily.


	22. Chapter 22

**JAIME**

 **A/N : This chapter is dedicated to Vulcran. I want to remind you that you are important and your writing is important, no matter what people (including me) say. Please remember that!**

He had been in the armoury cleaning his sword when a servant had interrupted him, letting him know that his father was waiting for him in the Sept. That line in itself was surprising. His father was certainly not a religious man and the Sept was the last place he would be seen it. So he moved quickly, sword by his side as he took large strides to reach the Sept. True to the servant's words, his father was waiting outside.

"I must say you could be better dressed for the moment. However, we cannot delay. Lose the sword and take this." With his words, his father handed him a Lannister cloak before leading him into the Sept.

Two steps in and he halted as he took in the sight before him. Cersei was standing on one side, a scornful expression on her face; Tyrion stood far away her, like a little boy hiding from all; Ser Barristan stood not too far from Tyrion, looking regal in all his Kingsguard glory; yet it was the girl who stood before the Septon that caught his attention. She was dressed in a coral riding dress which was covered by a simple black cloak she wore yet none could deny it was Princess Visenya of House Targaryen herself. Suddenly, the cloak in his hands made a lot more sense and before he could formulate the next thought, his father's voice cut in, "Do not just stand here. Move, boy."

Drawn out of his stupor, he moved with heavy steps as he took everything in. He was to be wed. The ceremony was completely simple, not the kind of wedding people would expect for a Targaryen Princess and Lannister heir. There were no decorations, no lavish feasts, no hordes of people assembled to witness the union. The bride wasn't dressed in ivory or silk and lace; nor did she wear a maiden cloak upon her shoulders. It was a blur, a mess as Jaime stumbled over his vows because all he could concentrate on were the tears his bride shed.

Yes, if he were honest even he did not want the wedding yet. He was sixteen, certainly the suitable age to wed but his bride was three name-days younger to him, still too young for a wedding. However, he wasn't that upset. He had expected this wedding two-three years down the line but he had still expected it, wanted it too even if marriage is still a word that doesn't roll easily from his tongue. His bride was crying though and in a wretched moment, he wondered if she had been forced into it. Had she not desired him the way he desired her?

Still when the moment comes, he kisses her and pledges his love to her even if he can taste her tears on his lips. The wedding is over and he is married and she is his Lady. A happy and satisfactory thought which is ruined by her silent tears.

 _Why?_ , he wants to ask her. _What wretched thing had he done now? Was she being forced?_ He would annul the wedding should she so want but his bride's measured steps are taken towards his father and not him.

"Now you march. Call your banners. Leave for King's Landing now.", she urges his father, well her good-father now too, seeing as the wedding cloak still sits upon her shoulders.

"I will call for the banners. We can depart within two days.", his father answers in his business voice and Jaime instantly understands the wedding was nothing more than a deal. A bride for an army. Yet, that did not seem like something his father would do.

"Two days?! No! You cannot wait two days. Dawn. Tomorrow. You march out and let your bannermen join you later. I need to get back to King's Landing.", Visenya speaks again.

"Seeing as you have wed my son, you shall stay here and begin your duties as the Lady of this castle." It is a command from his father and Jaime thinks of himself a coward for he cannot stand up against his father. He never could. His father was a man feared by his children just as much as he was feared by the men of the Seven Kingdoms.

"I am still a Princess. My family is in King's Landing.", she dismisses her father's words and he can sense his father's anger radiating off of him in waves. He finally steps towards his bride but Ser Barristan reaches Visenya first, standing behind her as her sworn knight.

"Do not test me girl.", his father warns and Jaime can only see the smirk that graces Cersei's features at those words.

"Your anger does not scare me, My Lord. You may be a powerful man and someone who shouldn't be slighted but you forget that I was brought up as the daughter of King Aerys Targaryen. Your anger fades in comparison to my father's fire. Do it. Call the banners. We march on the morrow. I have kept my word, you must keep yours. Ser Barristan will help you should you need him." Her tears are gone by now, and his sorrowful bride is replaced by a commanding woman. Perhaps his wife was more fierce than him.

"Very well.", his father finally concedes, eyes still narrowed at his little wife. "Jaime! With me."

Wed less than an hour ago and yet he was here, in his father's study evaluating a map of Westeros on the table, rather than feasting with his wife. Ravens had been sent to all the Western Lords. Those closer to Casterly Rock would assemble their armies and join them at first light while the Lords of holds farther still would combine their forces at the Goldroad that joined the Kingsroad near the capital. They had officially joined the war, raising their armies under the Targaryen banners.

His father doesn't mention the word 'wedding' or 'marriage' for the moment as the two of them stand with Ser Barristan, the knight explaining the current positions of armies in the war. A mighty force of the King's army was leaving for Riverrun when Ser Barristan had left with Visenya on their journey and Ser Barristan reported that there was a high chance that the Riverrun army would join the Rebels.

"We are too far and our force at the moment too small. The armies that join us tomorrow will never be able to join the King's forces in the Riverlands on time.", his father observed as he moved a marker across the board to King's Landing.

"March a strength of your forces to King's Landing and then we can send the rest to the Riverlands. Some could be sent to Storm's End where the Tyrells hold a siege. Dorne is yet to join us but I'm certain a Martell banner will rise soon." Between Ser Barristan and his father, Jaime was a green-boy, a knight yet to see a battle while both the men had fought in the War of the Ninepenny King. So he stood silently, letting the two men move markers and evaluate their next move. Jaime was a man of the field, a fighter who moved his sword faster than he spoke his words and as Tyrion would often jest the brawn to the little boy's brain.

It was in the evening when they were freed and as Ser Barristan left the solar, his father stopped Jaime.

"You have a wife now. Do not forget your duty to this family, do you understand boy? You will bed her and put a child in her belly."

"She is a child still!" His father could not be asking such a thing from him.

"Women her age have given birth before and will do so even after her. I do not care for her age. You have your Targaryen bride now. So make yourself useful."

"She is a child. We are at war. I'm not doing it." He needed to grow a spine against his father's decisions.

He doesn't hear his father's shouts as he walks away. He is yet to even comprehend marriage and his father already wanted a child. However, the day hadn't ended yet for Jaime it appeared as Ser Barristan was waiting outside.

"Ser Jaime.", the Kingsguard greeted, though his voice was not pleasant.

"May I help you, Ser Barristan?" Jaime asked as politely as he could. He doesn't have strength for much today.

"I have come to ask something of you.", the Knight tells him and Jaime cannot imagine what he could even offer to the Knight.

Still, he agrees to it. "Certainly, Ser."

"Well. The King doesn't know yet of your nuptials. He shall know of course when you march to King's Landing." A slight hesitation before the Kingsguard continues again, "Do I have your word that you will not harm her? She may be your wife now but she is still a Princess first."

Was the Kingsguard threatening him in a way Jaime couldn't understand. The old man's stance was certainly hostile. However, what had the knight imagined from Jaime? Hadn't he done enough to prove that he loved the Princess? If anything it was the Princess who seemed to not care enough. She was the one who had cried at the wedding and then sealed her fate and his too.

Still he nods in assurance, giving his word before leaving for his chambers. They were to depart early on the morrow and this day had certainly tired him out. Of course, he had forgotten that his new wife would be awaiting him in his chambers. Could he not get a moment's respite?

"You stained your cloak already, I see?", he remarks in an attempt to start a conversation. The dark red stain upon the golden lion stitched on the cloak was hard to ignore.

"Your sister dropped her wine by mistake as she was passing me.", she answers and he nods in acknowledgment. A _mistake_ certainly. He knows Cersei better than that.

"You aren't happy.", he speaks again, turning away from Visenya. She isn't a vision he wants at the moment. "I saw you crying at the ceremony."

He hears her sigh and moves to pour them wine. It is a matter of keeping himself preoccupied. "I shed tears for the lives I sold.", she answers him cryptically.

"The lives you sold?", he asks. He cannot play the guessing game in the moment. He is fatigued enough for the day.

"Yes. The lives your father got.", she answers as she takes a sip from the wine glass he had offered.

"Ah. Knew my father would not have taken a bride for an army. So… Apart from you, who else did you sell?" He was certain his father wouldn't consider a single bride (Princess or not) to be enough for his army.

"You." He turns to look at her at those words.

"Excuse me?" Him. What did she mean him?

"I swore to your father that you would take up all your duties as a Lord after the war. I sold any and all of our potential children to him and Casterly Rock.", she elaborates and Jaime has to give it to his father. Visenya had given him exactly what his father wanted - the people to carry his legacy - the prestigious Lannister name - forward.

"What else?" There could be more or there couldn't be. However, knowing Tywin Lannister, there had to be more people he would take on. After all the slights the King, no his good-father, had dealt them, it is hard to imagine that his father would settle for so little.

"Aegon, when he is of suitable age, will be sent here as a ward to your father. He will squire for you.", she answers as her eyes are still locked on the glass of wine in her hand. She hasn't taken more than exactly three sips.

"You mean a future King that he will mould to his wishes." So his father couldn't get Rhaegar for Cersei, bought Visenya for Jaime and now would shape a future King who would be reminded again and again that Tywin Lannister was his foster father. Foster fathers were certainly precious in these time, Jaime muses, as he remembers the Lord of Vale who raised his banners for his foster sons.

"It was that or promising him that any daughter you or sister have would be Aegon's queen." A promise that they would only be released from should he or Cersei not have daughters altogether.

"Does Princess Elia know?", he asks her as he refills his own cup. The King didn't know about the wedding which meant that the King didn't know Visenya was travelling West. Did Princess Elia know, then?

"We both knew that your father would dig his claws into Aegon. Kings and Queens are powerful people. So we decided to not promise Aegon to anybody yet. It wouldn't be safe for sure.", she answers and Jaime cannot help himself when he utters his next words.

"You mean if he turns out to be his father's son." He sees her grips tighten on the glass of wine, as her knuckles turn white and he knows those were the wrong words. Just because Rhaegar Targaryen had run off with a random Lady, didn't mean his son would too. It was a foolish reply.

She gulps her glass of wine at those words and refills before drinking it up instantly. It is after she has filled her glass the second time that she speaks again, "We were to be wed at the end of the war, did you know that?"

He supposes it is a rhetoric question and so he doesn't answer. How could he know anything when the first time he had seen her in over a year was in their wedding ceremony? The whole idea was ludicrous.

"Your father doesn't trust me. Or my brother. Or maybe my father, I suppose. I don't know. I just know that he didn't agree when I gave him my word that I would wed you when the war ends." Another glass of wine is emptied by her and remembering Harrenhal, he knows it's best to let her keep going tonight. He had plans of getting drunk himself to grasp the strangeness of the day.

"I suppose we are not really a trustworthy bunch. Us Targaryens - above the laws of men and Gods alike, my father says." Her words are spoken with a contempt he hasn't witnessed from her before.

"Foolish Targaryen men who think the titles King and Crown Prince make them untouchable." A bitter laugh emits from her mouth and Jaime decides against speaking anything to her. It was only rumours and whispers that had reached Casterly Rock so he doesn't truly know what cursed existence she lived in King's Landing this past year. He cannot fathom to guess the kinds of tortures she may have been witness to. That was a conversation for another day - a more sober day where he would remember the name of every man who hurt his bride.

"Why go back?", he asks her. His father had told Visenya to stay here and Jaime almost wants to beg Visenya to stay here, as far away from the war as possible. She would rule Casterly Rock as it's Lady while they went to war. Her only enemy here would be Cersei - a girl who would now come below Visenya even at the Rock because of the marriage. She would have men and women answerable to her. She would be safe above all.

"Elia and the children are there. Little Viserys, my Rhaenys. And Aegon. He is just a babe. They need me… Just as much as I need them."

"They can be brought here. All of them.", he offers. He understands what Visenya means. Jaime would do the same for Tyrion and Elia and Visenya were as strong a sibling pair as any other.

Another laugh, more high pitched but just as bitter. "Oh Jaime… It is like you have never met my father. There is Rhaegar who couldn't care about Elia when he left and then there's my father who will not let Elia out of his castle."

Between them, they finish a flagon of wine that night.


	23. Chapter 23

**ARTHUR**

It is a certainly joyous time on Dragonstone for a future King has been born. Arthur stands guard as Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia welcome their son. He stands and does his duty when all of Dragonstone celebrates that night for the new birth and the recovery of the Princess which is finally in sight.

When Rhaegar, who is as much a friend as he is his Prince, tells him that they must depart soon, Arthur hesitates. "What of your son?", he asks, remembering the small, red-faced baby Princess Rhaenys had thought of to be a new toy.

"It is for Aegon that we should leave.", the Prince answers and Arthur nods along. Still, all he can remember is a new-born prince and his mother, a princess still abed after childbirth.

He doesn't ask where it is they leave for. He has travelled with Rhaegar long enough to know that his princely duties are not something Arthur should ever question about. There are only three - him, the Prince and Ser Oswell Whent - who depart as Ashara bids them goodbye with Princess Rhaenys. Prince Rhaegar had already bid goodbye to his wife and son earlier that day, a goodbye Arthur was not privy to.

They are three young knights and so the journey is quick enough. It is when they are in the Kingdom of the Trident that he is finally told by Rhaegar of the plans. He laughs at his Prince's words, waiting for the moment the Prince would say he was joking. However, he didn't and Arthur realised that it was true. They were to bring her with them. Her.

 _You have a wife, my Prince,_ he wants to remind the knight before him. _A bride you took from Dorne and crowned your love at Dragonstone. A princess who is still in bed after giving you an heir._

But he doesn't. Rhaegar is his Prince and it is Arthur's duty to serve and obey. We do not judge, the Lord Commander had told him, once when the Queen had woken with new bruises in the morning. It was that cruelty of a Targaryen King, he had swore to defend, that he had escaped when Rhaegar had taken Princess Elia to Dragonstone and Arthur and Ashara with them. The Prince didn't ask for his council on this matter or Arthur would have said no to this act.

And so the tale will speak of a maiden taken in the dead of the night, stolen by a Prince who gave her roses. Arthur will be nothing more than a serving knight who was the Prince's companion on such a dark night.

The Stark girl is a child still barely fourteen perhaps fifteen name-days old and Arthur wants to laugh at his deeds. He does not find her beautiful, an opinion Oswell agrees on, but there is a wilderness about her which Arthur thinks is what draws the Prince to her. She is wild and unruly, sometimes moody and Arthur would take the delicate loveliness of Princess Elia over this girl's any day. Though some may call him partial, for he is as Dornish of blood as his Princess. Yet, the Stark girl's crassness and crudeness is something Arthur had never seen before despite being from a more free Dorne.

It is a sting when they take the girl to Dorne of all places and Arthur suddenly doesn't encourage much conversation with Prince Rhaegar. He has also become Prince Rhaegar, always Prince Rhaegar in his mind. The Stark girl too has become her or the girl, never called a Lady or never given her family title. Ser Oswell is the only one that Arthur talks to properly and only because Arthur can sense that the other Kingsguard is as uncomfortable as he is in Dorne. However, for the Prince they do their duty and so they silently take the heat and Arthur personally brood inside.

"You hate me.", the Prince speaks to him one day as they both stand outside the bloody tower. The tower lay in the Prince's Pass and Arthur wants to tell Prince Rhaegar that the place is called so for the title the Martells took, the Martells whose Princess was wed to the Prince.

"I do not, Your Grace." No, he doesn't hate the Prince. There is just so much anger in him.

"I have displeased you, I fear.", the Prince states in a soft voice. Prince Rhaegar never truly raises his voice.

"I am nobody to be displeased, Your Grace." He is nothing more than a Knight sworn to the Kingsguard.

"Speak truly, Arthur. Are you angry with me?"

It is a tough question, a question with a conflicting answer. When Arthur took the White Cloak, he forsake everything - his lands, his title, his home. He became a Knight - the Sword of the Morning. Yet, he is Dornish to the bone and Dornish loyalty is a matter no kingdom could ever have seen. Even the Targaryens had been unable to turn the Lords of Dorne against their ruling Prince during the two years called Dragon's Wroth.

"I was born here, my Prince. In these lands.", Arthur begins, "I was not the first son and so I could be sent away. I was taken to the Water Gardens, surely you remember the place, my Prince." They had visited Dorne a year into Princess Rhaenys's birth to show Prince Doran his niece. Arthur could still remember Ashara and Princess Elia playing with Rhaenys is the Gardens.

"It is a majestic place.", Prince Rhaegar comments, encouraging Arthur to carry on.

"It truly is. Me and Ashara almost grew up there. I was even fostered by the Martells for a short while - by Princess Elia's father." He doesn't say Prince Doran or Prince Oberyn, no he chooses the Princess to remind the Prince.

"The Dornish love two things the most - their weapons and their women. Princess Elia is a woman of Dorne, Your Grace. It's Princess." He doesn't speak anything else for he fears what may come out of his mouth.

"You think I have slighted my lady wife?", Prince Rhaegar asks.

"Have you not, my Prince?", he counters. There is no reply.

"I am a guilty man brought back home, Your Grace. Here I stand guarding an insult to the Dornishmen while my brothers and sisters brood over the slight you bear us."

"Things will be different soon, Arthur. You will see that what I did was necessary." Prince Rhaegar was a mystic and his mysticism is what upsets Arthur in this moment. How could the Prince not see what he was doing? Ashara would never forgive Arthur for helping with the Prince's plan. Not when her and Princess Elia were inseparable. The Martell Princes, his first princes, would never forgive Arthur for causing such misery to their only sister. He would truly take death at the hands of the Red Viper if the Martell Prince desired so of him. He wouldn't even defend himself against Prince Oberyn's blows.

"Why Dorne, Your Grace?", he asks after some time. "Why Dorne of all the Kingdoms? Why this wretched tower?"

"The Tower of Joy.", Prince Rhaegar answers. Arthur remembered the name. Prince Rhaegar had called it so when they were returning back to Dragonstone after the Dornish visit. He had called it so and none - Ser Arthur, Princess Elia or Ashara - had said anything of it. So it came to be named amongst them the Tower of Joy.

"It gives me no joy, Your Grace." His eyes still survey the surroundings. Ser Oswell had gone on patrol and Arthur was awaiting the man's return.

He hears a call from inside the tower and he knows it is the girl calling for the Prince. There are exactly four occupants here - two Kingsguard, a Prince and a northern girl. Arthur doesn't speak to her, Oswell speaks only when spoken to and even then his answers are short. Her conversation is only with the Prince and so she doesn't take kindly to it when the Prince wanders away from her. He is certain, soon he will hears screams and loud voices claiming that she is better off elsewhere and they should leave already.

Still the Prince doesn't leave his position beside Arthur, not even turning to look back into the tower for the girl.

"One day you will understand everything, Arthur." He doesn't want cryptic answers. He wants the truth. He wants to know how a man he called friend could do this to Princess Elia. All Arthur thinks of now-a-days is Ashara who spits his name in anger, Princess Elia whose anger radiates like the sun, Princess Rhaenys whose cries echo in his dreams, a Red Viper who wants blood and Arthur's head served, the Dornishmen who speak his name like a curse.

He finally spots Ser Oswell in a distant and Arthur is saved from replying. The Kingsguard comes and bows before Prince Rhaegar before speaking, "Lord Stark and his heir have been killed, Your Grace."

A sharp gasp from behind them has all three men facing towards the entry of the tower where the girl stands. Prince Rhaegar makes a move to go to her but she turns away, running off to hide in the castle.

"Give me a moment.", Prince Rhaegar urges them but Ser Oswell stops him. "Your Grace, Princess Elia and the children…"

"What about them?" If Prince Rhaegar fears for them, he doesn't indicate.

"They are not on Dragonstone at the moment, Your Grace. I do not think they have been for quite a while now." Ser Oswell answers and Arthur can sense the Kingsguard's hesitation. They had sworn to protect Princess Elia and the children and not the other girl.

"They must be in King's Landing then. There is no fear. My sister and my mother are there. It is a good thing, for now Elia will not be alone.", the Prince answers though his mind is on something else for certain.

In this moment, Arthur also remembers the other Princess - a Targaryen one - with her mother's laughing beauty who had called Arthur a brother once. Even she would curse his name now.

"Prin….", Ser Oswell begins, before hesitating and nodding along to the Prince's words. "Certainly, Your Grace."

It is only when the two Knights are left alone that Ser Oswell asks him, "Do you believe they are safe? The royal family?"

"It is us who are in the wrong here and yet alone in this tower, we are more safe than those in King's Landing." They may have turned a blind eye against the actions of King Aerys, they may have never outright spoken ill of their King but even the Kingsguard wasn't ignorant of the follies of their King. The King had little regard for blood or family, it's prime example being his Queen who was nothing more than a fleeting ghost the last time Arthur had seen her.

"Do you believe we are doing the right thing here?", Ser Oswell asks again and Arthur recalls how often this conversation had passed between them. In a moment of guilt, one would ask the other this question and receive the same reply again and again.

"We are only following the Prince's orders.", Arthur tells him, repeating an answer they had memorised long ago.

"I do not know who to pity amongst all of us.", says Ser Oswell as he breaks into their food for the night.

"I suppose every one of us is to be pitied, brother. But pity will get us no respite or mercy.", Arthur replies.

 ***A/N : The timeline is linear for now. This POV is happening at a time that Visenya has already married. The news is yet to reach anywhere near them because they are so far away. So yes, Robert and Jon Arryn having already joined forces with Ned thereby starting the Rebellion but the people in the Tower of Joy do not know so.**

 **1\. Lyanna Stark as beautiful - Lyanna Stark is described as beautiful by mostly people who loved her - Ned and Robert. On more than one occasion, Arya has been compared to Lyanna and Arya is not particularly called beautiful by many people. Kevin Lannister recalls her having a "wild beauty" about her while Maester Yandel describes her as "a wild and boyish young thing with none of the Princess Elia's delicate beauty". Also, Lyanna is basically 14-15 years old and Arthur is not a pedophile (he is a true Knight) so he doesn't find her beautiful.**

 **2\. Dragon's Wroth - During the First Dornish War, two years following Rhaenys's death were called Dragon's Wroth. The Targaryens burned every Dornish stronghold at least once, with the exception of Sunspear. In Dorne it was said that the Targaryens feared that Princess Meria had cunning means of slaying dragons purchased from Lys, but Archmaester Timotty in his** ** _Conjectures_** **suggests that Aegon hoped that the Dornish would turn against the Martells. However, the Dornish lords and smallfolk remained loyal, despite the letters dispatched from the Dornish Marches to the Dornish houses claiming the Martells had bought their safety from the dragons.**

 **3\. Tower of Joy - No clear indication of the naming of the place has been given. The only thing we know is that Rhaegar called it as such - why, when, what or who for - are all conjectures. In my story, I have it named by him before for a reason which will be disclosed much later.**

 **Thank you! :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**VISENYA**

Her grip on things weakens with each passing day that brings them closer to King's Landing. Her nerves are a wreck as the haunting images of people burning comes to her mind again and again. She is on full alert and so easily agitated that even Lord Tywin, who hadn't failed to remind her at every opportunity that now she was under him as she was his heir's bride, had left her alone. Jaime would always be present, his horse never too far from hers, but he would be nothing more than a silent companion and if she tried hard enough, she could almost imagine he wasn't there.

It had been Ser Barristan who had warned her that she could under no circumstance travel far ahead of the Lannister army, that if she was going back home after wedding a Lannister then she should march with an army by her side. Her father would not care that she wed for the good of her family, for an army the same way reportedly Lady Catelyn and Lady Lysa had wed. No, her father would consider her a traitor and want to burn her. An army would only help her in the rescue for Visenya was ready to run away the moment her father would give the order for her death.

They finally arrive to the gates of King's Landing and the mediocre sized Red Keep seems to tower over Visenya in that moment.

"The King has requested an audience in the Throne Room, Your Grace.", a member of the City Watch informs her. She is not that surprised of her father's knowledge about her arrival because Lord Varys appeared to have his eyes and ears everywhere. However, she wants to almost laugh at the soldier's words. ' _Requested_ '. Like her father would ever request anybody. It was an order, plain and simple.

The Western army begins setting their camps outside the walls of the city as Visenya along with Lord Tywin, Ser Barristan and Jaime, makes for the Throne Room. She just prays that her father is not holding a court session at the moment. Her father's cruelties are handled best in private and not in the view of the court.

As she walks into the Throne Room, her heavy steps leading her towards the looming Iron Throne, Visenya feels dizzy. Only the sight of Elia who encouragingly nods, from her place by the side of the King, makes her move forth.

"Your Grace.", she addresses her father who sits upon the Iron Throne with his loving crown, bowing to him. There was a time when her father's eyes would almost twinkle purple, a time when little Visenya who was barely three could run to her father and sit in his lap on the same Iron Throne as the King held his court. A time she didn't bow to him because King or not, he was her father and a daughter doesn't bow to her father like that.

Her father laughs at her address, a laugh which had lost its warmth so long ago that Visenya couldn't even remember. "Your Grace? Your Grace? You call me your King and yet you defy me, daughter of mine? How dare you leave the Keep, tell me?"

"You never ordered me to stay, Your Grace. I received no command stating that I wasn't to leave the Red Keep.", she tells him calmly. Her eyes briefly flit across the room to see who was here - five Kingsguard members, Varys, Pycelle, Lord Staunton and Elia. Her mother and the three children were nowhere to be found.

"Oh and you believe you are special somehow? That I would write a proclamation only for _you_ to tell you that you were to not leave the Keep? Huh?", her father counters as he moves his hand to point a finger at her, cutting himself on the Throne in the process.

"My father taught me that as a Targaryen I was above men and Gods alike. That I was to not consider myself to be in the same category as mere men.", she replies. As expected her father gives a cruel laugh at that.

"And yet you wed a Lannister! My daughter went and mixed her pure blood with the Lannister boy. Insolent girl, you stand before me and use my own words against me! Is it the Harrenhal boy? Or have you fallen so low as to marry Tywin's imp?"

"Jaime Lannister, Your Grace.", Visenya speaks. If her father had already known of her marriage, then he had already gone through his burning people phase. For now he could only rage.

"Come forward, boy.", her father commands, "Let me see who my daughter has brought home."

Mentally she is almost surprised at the set and unhesitant way with which Jaime walks towards her father, waiting to bow before Elia.

"Lose the sword, boy!", her father shouts as Jaime takes a step to climb towards the Iron Throne. When Jaime finally reaches her father, the King grips his face in his hand, pulling it closer, inspecting it.

"Well… you are no better than the Dornish wife.", her father comments, insulting Elia, Jaime and Lord Tywin in the same sentence.

"Tell me boy, is she any good in bed?"

"Your Grace!", Elia is the first to jump to her defence as Visenya ducks her head at her father's words, her eyes filling with water. Never had she expected her father to speak so crudely about her - his own daughter, his only daughter - but the King had long forgotten what family was, what flesh and blood meant.

"Silence, you!", her father orders Elia before turning to Jaime again, "She thinks that she has power just because she wed my son. Power hungry Martells, grabbing at my Throne with their poisonous hand. But then again, you are no better, boy! Get away from me!"

Visenya stands still as Jaime walks down the steps of the Throne, she waits patiently because she knows her father's tirade is only beginning.

"You are all the same. Martells and Lannisters. You all want my Throne and look now, you have turned my children against me. Have you forgotten Visenya, what it meant to be a dragon? But then again, you were never a dragon, were you girl? You are a weak, little useless girl who has joint the enemies now! But I am telling you, you will never rule! You, Elia, Rhaella… You all will never rule."

"I should have you burnt, you and your husband. How dare you wed without my knowledge?"

"Your Grace… Lord Tywin has been gracious enough to march his armies here, to defend the city and protect you against the rebels.", Visenya assures, trying to salvage whatever hope she can. She and Elia were willing to lose themselves and Aegon in the bargain, she couldn't have her father deny Tywin Lannister now.

"Gracious? Gracious? He comes because I have commanded him to. Isn't that so Tywin?"

"Yes, Your Grace." Lord Tywin speaks for the first time and Visenya isn't surprised at how easily the lie rolls off his tongue. Her father had sent no raven to Casterly Rock, hadn't spoken the name Tywin in months and yet he claimed that he had ordered. No, Visenya had bought the army.

"You are fortunate girl that Varys has spoken the right words. You will live now and so will your husband, that is if he doesn't die on the battlefield. Leave now! All of you!", her father orders and yet he was the first to get up to leave.

Visenya was truly surprised at that. She had expected more from her father, had almost been sure that his reaction would be downright inhumane. Yet, this was nothing compared to what her father's potentiality was. She would need to speak to Elia quick. Something didn't seem right.

"Visenya!", her mother calls out as she was making her way through Maegor's Holdfast to Rhaegar's chambers. Elia had never been given any separate chambers because she and Rhaegar had barely stayed in King's Landing after their marriage. So, Elia's chambers were in fact, Rhaegar's chambers.

"Mother!", she cries joyfully, rushing to her mother's safe embrace. However, perhaps safe wasn't the correct word to use because nobody was safe here and her mother of all people could protect none.

Her mother holds her tight for a moment before quickly urging her to come to her chambers.

"But mother. I needed to speak with Elia."

"Elia can wait. You come with me this very instant.", her mother whispers and Visenya follows her. Her mother seemed so upset and still angry. Discontent.

Once they were alone in the Queen's chambers, her mother gripped her arm tightly, angrily asking, "What were you thinking?"

"What?", Visenya asks, completely taken by surprise at her mother's actions and words.

"You wed Jaime! Are you foolish, girl? Tell me, Visenya.", her mother demands again.

"I… I don't know what you mean."

"Really you don't? Was it because of Rhaegar? Tell me, was it Rhaegar who encouraged you to wed Jaime the way he ran off with that Stark girl?"

"What? No, mother. What are you talking about?" She had never truly been afraid of her mother up until this moment.

"How do you not see that love has no place in war? You should have stayed, you should have done your duty to this house! What cursed luck have I got to have such children."

"Mother… It wasn't for love.", she defends herself.

"Do not you dare tell me that you do not love Jaime Lannister. I am not blind, my girl, I am anything but blind.", her mother states.

"I love him, I do… but mother… I didn't. The army… We needed the Westerlands. Lord Tywin would never have come.", Visenya explains, trying to make her mother understand. Why could nobody see it? How could they all believe that Visenya had wanted to be wed at thirteen?

"Really? You do realise that there are other ways an army is taken? A price is paid for armies.", her mother explains.

"And I was the prize!", Visenya finally shouts. All her life, her father had taught her they were superior, omnipotent and all her life, her mother had told her that when the day came Visenya would bow down and have to do her duty. How could none see that she had done her duty? She had gone to Tywin Lannister, knowing that she was being sold as a broodmare. She had done what her mother had always told her to do.

"Yes! And do you understand what you have done now?", her mother asks in hysteria. "You walked into the Red Keep and served yourself up on a silver platter to the King."

"What is that suppose to mean now?", Visenya asks. Why did her mother believe that it was purely love? Rhaegar had been the Targaryen who left for love, not Visenya. If there were a Kingdom which would have provided them a bigger army then Visenya would have done her duty and gone to them. Yet, in the Seven Kingdoms, it was only the Westerlands who had been sitting out of the war so far. So they were the obvious choice.

"You understand why Elia and her children are here?", her mother counter-asks.

"They are hostages.", Visenya answers because that is no secret. Elia had told her that the King had warned Ser Lewyn Martell that Dorne should support them for he had Elia in his clutches.

"Yes! Exactly. And so are you now. A Lannister hostage. Like your father needed some more fuel to his fire.", her mother explains.

"No! No! I am not.", she denies vehemently even if the reality is finally sinking in. She had grown up as a Princess, the only Princess of the Seven Kingdoms. It was impossible to believe that her own father would see her a hostage. Wed into the family or not, Elia was by blood Martell and so Visenya could partially understand her father's want in keeping Elia hostage. Yet, Visenya was his daughter. Despite all his cruelties, Visenya would never rebel against him. She would be loyal to the last day.

"Really? Is that why your father did not have you turned to ashes already? Because you are not a valuable hostage?", her mother asks and Visenya has to sit down to handle the news. Gods, what had she done? It had seem so simple - wed Jaime for the army, return to King's Landing and have Lord Tywin win the war for them. Then they could go back to the way things were before.

"Don't sit and cry, fool. Tell me, are you with child? Have you entertained the boy in the chambers yet?"

"Speak Visenya! I need to know.", her mother shouts again, appearing almost possessed in this moment.

"NO! NO! I have not. I am still a maiden, I swear. I swear, I do.", Visenya cries, trying hard to free herself from her mother's tight grip. This was the kind of reaction she had expected from her father who in his anger would have her burnt.

Her mother grips her chin tightly in the moment, forcing Visenya to look at her, "Remember. You do not welcome him to your chambers. Do you understand? If you do get with child, I will feed you moon tea myself."

How could her mother say those words? Her gentle, sweet mother who had always been so kind to one and all, especially her children.

As if burnt, her mother immediately released her, taking a step back in horror. "Oh… oh Visenya."

Her mother moves softly now, hesitantly as she joins Visenya. "I had been only a young girl when I had laughed with Elia's and Jaime's mothers that we would wed our children. I would not have done that had I known that Elia would suffer so cruelly at Rhaegar's hands. I thought I had sparred Joanna that trouble and yet Visenya, you wed her son and brought him here."

Visenya cannot even form any words for now, does not know what to say anymore. It stung that her father looked at her that way in this moment, that from henceforth she would be a hostage and nothing else. A hostage under her own father, a prisoner in her own home. The war was being fought in another Kingdom altogether and yet here Visenya sat, a prisoner and nothing more.


End file.
